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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 116 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 · bat · bound · kick · deal · bay · stick · bear

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. kick — in football
  4. court — of law
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. court — for sport
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bound — certain
  23. court — of a king
  24. bat — in an idiom

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