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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: tube · pitcher · rush · staff · suit · court · net · cell

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. court — for sport
  3. cell — in biology
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. net — for catching
  6. court — of law
  7. staff — a stick
  8. court — of a king
  9. suit — to fit
  10. staff — employees
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. staff — employees
  13. net — after costs
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. tube — the underground
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rush — hurry
  20. cell — a phone
  21. net — in sport
  22. suit — clothes
  23. tube — a container
  24. pitcher — a jug

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