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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · calf · spell · pound · court · spring · pass · cue

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pass — a permit
  7. staff — a stick
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spring — a coil
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. spell — letters
  13. pound — a weight
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — the season
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. spring — of water
  21. staff — employees
  22. cue — a signal
  23. court — for sport
  24. pound — to hit hard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com