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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. lean — thin
  10. land — to come down
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. firm — decided
  18. court — for sport
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. kick — in football
  21. roll — a list
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. roll — a cake

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