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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 120 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: court · cell · can · firm · pitcher · wave · staff · hand

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. court — for sport
  4. firm — decided
  5. staff — employees
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cell — in biology
  8. can — to be able to
  9. staff — employees
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. can — a tin
  12. court — of a king
  13. firm — steady
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cell — a phone
  17. staff — a stick
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. hand — help
  23. can — a tin
  24. firm — a company

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