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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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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: pop · court · rule · cue · firm · staff · stand · date

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pop — to visit
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. cue — a hint
  6. stand — to bear
  7. court — of a king
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. firm — a company
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cue — a signal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. staff — employees
  16. rule — government
  17. firm — steady
  18. date — the fruit
  19. court — of law
  20. firm — decided
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  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