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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 · racket · charge · bark · cue · wake · staff · tube

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cue — for pool
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. tube — the underground
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. staff — employees
  11. bark — to shout
  12. wake — a trail
  13. tube — a container
  14. court — of law
  15. charge — in control
  16. court — of a king
  17. cue — a signal
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. court — for sport
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. staff — employees
  23. cue — a hint
  24. charge — a price

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