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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
468
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: rest · game · spell · track · mouse · cue · court · chair

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. court — of a king
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chair — a leader
  8. spell — letters
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. track — to keep track
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. track — a path
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cue — a hint
  15. spell — a short time
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. rest — a break
  20. cue — for pool
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. track — a song
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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