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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: court · chair · scale · deal · racket · hand · staff · face

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. court — of law
  5. staff — employees
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. court — for sport
  8. chair — a leader
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — in music
  14. court — of a king
  15. hand — in cards
  16. face — to point toward
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. face — to confront
  19. hand — help
  20. face — part of the head
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. staff — a stick

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