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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
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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: staff · pop · deal · date · rest · mouse · land · court

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. land — a country
  3. staff — employees
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. court — of a king
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rest — a break
  11. pop — music
  12. date — the fruit
  13. rest — what's left
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. court — for sport
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pop — to visit
  18. court — of law
  19. pop — soda
  20. land — to come down
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. land — ground
  24. deal — an agreement

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