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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: land · staff · sharp · mate · key · kick · court · squash

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. squash — to crush
  3. court — for sport
  4. key — in music
  5. kick — in football
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. court — of a king
  9. key — for a lock
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. key — the most important part
  12. land — ground
  13. staff — employees
  14. land — to come down
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mate — a partner
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. squash — the sport
  19. staff — employees
  20. sharp — clever
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. land — a country
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. staff — a stick

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