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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. staff — employees
  3. kick — in football
  4. staff — a stick
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. court — of a king
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. staff — employees
  10. last — final
  11. bank — of a river
  12. court — for sport
  13. last — to go on
  14. bank — for money
  15. last — finally
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. bank — for money
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pit — a hole
  23. court — of law
  24. kick — a thrill

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