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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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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: court · object · saw · ball · lean · last · deal · rock

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. court — of a king
  3. rock — a stone
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lean — to bend
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. ball — a dance
  9. object — a thing
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. saw — the tool
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. court — of law
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rock — music
  18. ball — a great time
  19. last — final
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. object — to protest
  23. lean — thin
  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