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

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bound — obliged
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bound — tied together
  10. swing — music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fork — in a road
  13. court — of a king
  14. can — a tin
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bound — certain
  19. kick — in football
  20. can — a tin
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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