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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: firm · staff · bowl · drill · rest · mouse · jam · court

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. drill — a practice
  8. court — of law
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rest — what's left
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rest — a break
  15. firm — decided
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. court — of a king
  19. drill — army training
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. firm — a company
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. court — for sport

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