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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: court · saw · dip · staff · deal · kick · swing · cold

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. court — of law
  3. kick — in football
  4. staff — employees
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. court — for sport
  8. swing — in golf
  9. staff — a stick
  10. swing — music
  11. cold — an illness
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cold — not warm
  17. dip — to sink
  18. saw — the tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. swing — to play on
  22. deal — to handle
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. court — of a king

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