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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 · tube · wound · cue · court · object · pitcher · nail

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. court — of law
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. object — to protest
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. staff — employees
  11. court — for sport
  12. tube — the underground
  13. object — an aim
  14. court — of a king
  15. object — a thing
  16. wound — an injury
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. tube — a container
  21. cue — a hint
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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