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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · mine · court · squash · staff · bore · can · cabinet

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. staff — a stick
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bore — to drill
  14. tube — a container
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. court — of law
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mine — for digging
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. can — a tin
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. can — a tin

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