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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bank — for money
  5. firm — steady
  6. content — happy
  7. firm — a company
  8. content — the amount
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. court — of law
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — decided
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of a king

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