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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: leaves · staff · object · bay · rule · court · jam · pit

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. staff — employees
  6. rule — a law
  7. pit — in a race
  8. court — of law
  9. object — an aim
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pit — a hole
  13. staff — employees
  14. rule — government
  15. object — a thing
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. court — for sport
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. object — to protest
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. court — of a king
  24. leaves — of a tree

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