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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
468
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: mug · court · pitcher · plane · pop · clip · bay · staff

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mug — a cup
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. court — of law
  6. staff — employees
  7. clip — to cut
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pop — music
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. clip — a video
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. staff — a stick
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. staff — employees
  20. clip — for paper
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mug — a face
  24. pop — to visit

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