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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: straw · clip · bulb · court · ball · cue · staff · mug

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. clip — a video
  3. cue — for pool
  4. staff — employees
  5. court — of a king
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bulb — for light
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mug — a face
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. clip — to cut
  13. court — of law
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ball — a great time
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. staff — employees
  19. cue — a hint
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. court — for sport
  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