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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 116 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: racket · straw · lie · ruler · court · staff · stock · cue

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. staff — employees
  2. cue — for pool
  3. court — of a king
  4. stock — goods
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. stock — shares
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. court — of law
  10. lie — to recline
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. court — for sport
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  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