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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: jam · hide · kick · pitcher · ball · deal · court · wind

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ball — a great time
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. kick — in football
  16. court — of law
  17. court — of a king
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. wind — moving air
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. deal — to handle
  24. court — for sport

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