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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pop — music
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. track — a song
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. court — for sport
  11. deal — to handle
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pop — soda
  16. court — of a king
  17. pop — to visit
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. court — of law
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. track — a path

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