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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: cue · mug · staff · ball · stem · saw · row · court

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. ball — a great time
  4. row — a line
  5. court — of law
  6. ball — a dance
  7. staff — employees
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stem — to come from
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mug — to rob
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mug — a face
  16. court — of a king
  17. mug — a cup
  18. row — to paddle
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. court — for sport
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. staff — employees

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