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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rest — what's left
  5. shower — to wash
  6. craft — boats
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. court — for sport
  9. key — in music
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rest — a break
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. craft — a skill
  14. ground — the earth
  15. shower — rain
  16. kick — in football
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. ground — a position
  20. key — for a lock
  21. object — a thing
  22. court — of law
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rest — what's left

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