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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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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: bowl · court · calf · plane · kick · kid · bank · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bank — for money
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. key — for a lock
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. court — of a king
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bank — for money
  14. key — in music
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. kick — in football
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. kick — a thrill

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