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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: deal · mine · court · staff · bound · bass · file · cell

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. cell — a phone
  3. staff — employees
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. court — for sport
  6. staff — employees
  7. bound — tied together
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. deal — to handle
  14. file — a document
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bound — certain
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bound — obliged
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bass — low music
  21. staff — a stick
  22. file — a tool
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cell — in a prison

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