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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 120 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: stick · mouse · kick · squash · swing · court · last · race

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. kick — in football
  5. swing — in golf
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. last — to go on
  8. squash — the sport
  9. court — for sport
  10. last — final
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. race — a contest
  14. last — finally
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. race — humankind
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. swing — music
  21. squash — to crush
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. race — the arms race
  24. swing — to play on

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