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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. season — in sport
  3. ball — a great time
  4. field — farmland
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. chip — for betting
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. field — for sport
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. court — of a king
  12. mine — for digging
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bank — for money
  19. kick — in football
  20. court — for sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. court — of law
  24. season — of the year

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