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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 · rock · nail · mouse · net · court · patient · squash

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. net — for catching
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rock — a stone
  8. net — in sport
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rock — music
  12. staff — employees
  13. court — of law
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. staff — a stick
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. net — after costs

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