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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 120 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: court · stem · suit · mug · land · ball · snap · staff

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. land — a country
  3. suit — to fit
  4. snap — to click
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. mug — to rob
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mug — a cup
  10. court — for sport
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. court — of law
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. land — to come down
  15. ball — a dance
  16. staff — employees
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. staff — a stick
  19. court — of a king
  20. mug — a face
  21. staff — employees
  22. land — ground
  23. ball — a great time
  24. suit — in cards

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