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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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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: deal · cue · court · mine · stem · spring · rest · firm

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. court — for sport
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mine — for digging
  6. court — of law
  7. spring — the season
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rest — a break
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. court — of a king
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. firm — a company
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. firm — steady
  18. spring — of water
  19. firm — decided
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. cue — a signal

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