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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 116 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. court — of law
  3. row — a line
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. field — for sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. field — farmland
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. kick — in football
  13. court — of a king
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. field — a subject
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. court — for sport
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. kick — with a leg

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