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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: staff · nail · pitcher · toast · patient · court · leaves · tube

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. staff — a stick
  12. tube — a container
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. court — of a king
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tube — the underground
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. toast — bread
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. staff — employees
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. leaves — lets stay

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