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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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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: cue · clip · object · rest · staff · racket · stem · squash

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. squash — to crush
  5. staff — employees
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stem — to come from
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. staff — employees
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. cue — a signal
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rest — a break
  15. staff — a stick
  16. object — a thing
  17. clip — for paper
  18. cue — for pool
  19. object — to protest
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. clip — a video
  22. object — an aim
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cue — a hint

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