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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. can — a tin
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. can — a tin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. court — of a king
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rest — what's left
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kick — in football
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. club — for golf
  18. court — for sport
  19. rest — a break
  20. club — a group
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. court — of law
  23. kid — to tease
  24. can — to be able to

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