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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: racket · safe · court · cue · temple · cap · land · staff

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cue — a signal
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. staff — employees
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cap — of ice
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. land — to come down
  14. cue — a hint
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. cap — a lid
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. staff — employees
  20. land — ground
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. staff — a stick
  23. court — of a king
  24. cap — a hat

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