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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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468
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: key · lash · court · rule · nail · racket · lean · game

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. court — for sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. key — in music
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. game — a match
  8. key — for a lock
  9. lean — thin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. game — wild animals
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rule — government
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lean — to bend
  18. court — of law
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rule — a law
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. game — a kind of play
  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