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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. court — of law
  4. court — of a king
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. court — for sport
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. key — the most important part
  21. ground — a position
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pitcher — a jug

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