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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. sharp — clever
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. chip — to eat
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pound — a weight
  16. kick — in football
  17. court — of a king
  18. chip — for betting
  19. ball — a dance
  20. court — of law
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. sharp — with an edge

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