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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. court — of a king
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pit — a hole
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pit — in a race
  11. court — for sport
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. rest — a break
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rest — what's left
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. kick — in football
  23. rush — hurry
  24. court — of law

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