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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. object — to protest
  7. mate — to breed
  8. court — of law
  9. object — an aim
  10. kick — in football
  11. track — a song
  12. mate — a partner
  13. track — a path
  14. foot — a measure
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mate — a friend
  17. track — to keep track
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. court — for sport
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. court — of a king

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