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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. staff — employees
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. rock — music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. court — of a king
  8. land — a country
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. court — for sport
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. land — to come down
  15. suit — clothes
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. land — ground
  18. toast — bread
  19. rock — a stone
  20. staff — employees
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. court — of law
  23. staff — a stick
  24. nail — for a hammer

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