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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: date · tube · cue · bay · foot · bore · court · staff

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. cue — a signal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bore — to drill
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. court — of law
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. staff — employees
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. tube — the underground
  17. date — the fruit
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. court — of a king
  23. staff — employees
  24. bore — to tire

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