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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.

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: kid · court · jam · rash · staff · fine · cue · wound

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. rash — a series
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. wound — an injury
  9. court — of a king
  10. staff — employees
  11. court — for sport
  12. fine — high quality
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cue — a hint
  17. kid — child
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. kid — to tease
  24. court — of law

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