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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. court — of a king
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. spring — of water
  9. kick — in football
  10. board — to get on
  11. court — of law
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. board — a committee
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pound — a weight
  24. court — for sport

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