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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.

Make a worksheet

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: staff · scale · rest · cue · game · net · kid · mine

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rest — what's left
  3. kid — to tease
  4. rest — what's left
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. cue — a signal
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. scale — in music
  13. net — after costs
  14. game — a match
  15. staff — a stick
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rest — a break
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cue — for pool
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cue — a hint
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. kid — child

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