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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. object — a thing
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. object — to protest
  5. court — for sport
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. field — a subject
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. object — an aim
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. tube — a container
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. court — of law
  19. content — happy
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. content — the amount
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. court — of a king

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