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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. firm — decided
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. saw — the tool
  12. firm — steady
  13. court — of law
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. court — of a king
  21. kick — in football
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. firm — a company

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