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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bat · court · stick · bulb · staff · tube · deal · saw

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. saw — the tool
  3. court — of a king
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. court — for sport
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. staff — employees
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. staff — a stick
  13. tube — a container
  14. bulb — for light
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tube — the underground
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bat — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. staff — employees

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