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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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Word bank
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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 · drill · cabinet · object · ball · fork · deal · row

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. court — of a king
  3. drill — the tool
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. court — of law
  8. drill — army training
  9. object — an aim
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. object — a thing
  12. ball — a dance
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. court — for sport
  18. row — a line
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. deal — to handle
  22. object — to protest
  23. fork — in a road
  24. row — to paddle

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