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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. object — a thing
  3. court — of a king
  4. object — an aim
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. court — of law
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pit — in a race
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. drill — a practice
  16. net — in sport
  17. drill — the tool
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. drill — army training
  21. court — for sport
  22. club — a group
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. object — to protest

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