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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: hide · scale · staff · arm · pit · mug · court · drill

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mug — a cup
  3. drill — a practice
  4. staff — employees
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mug — a face
  7. scale — in music
  8. staff — a stick
  9. court — for sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. court — of law
  12. drill — army training
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. drill — the tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pit — in a race
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. staff — employees
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mug — to rob

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