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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. court — for sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. board — to get on
  5. kick — in football
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. court — of a king
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. capital — a city
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. vault — a safe
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. board — a committee
  17. rest — a break
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. court — of law
  23. capital — money
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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