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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bulb — for light
  8. court — of law
  9. firm — decided
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. court — for sport
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rest — what's left
  17. firm — steady
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. saw — the tool
  20. firm — a company
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bulb — for light
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. saw — the tool

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