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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. kick — in football
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. chip — for betting
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fine — high quality
  11. court — of a king
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. deal — to handle
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mate — a partner
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. court — of law
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fine — all right
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fine — a penalty

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