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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 · court · cue · band · roll · bowl · suit · season

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. staff — employees
  5. season — of the year
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cue — a hint
  8. court — of a king
  9. cue — a signal
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. staff — a stick
  12. suit — to fit
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. roll — a cake
  16. season — in sport
  17. court — of law
  18. band — a ring
  19. roll — a list
  20. court — for sport
  21. staff — employees
  22. band — a music group
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bowl — a dish

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