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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: march · straw · key · fork · court · kick · deal · stick

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. court — of a king
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. march — the month
  5. key — the most important part
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. court — for sport
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. march — the month
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. march — music
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. court — of law
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fork — in a road
  23. kick — in football
  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