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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fine — high quality
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. club — for dancing
  9. court — of a king
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. fine — all right
  22. kick — in football
  23. court — of law
  24. kick — a thrill

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