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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: leaves · kick · trunk · game · ball · toast · court · squash

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. court — of a king
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. ball — a dance
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ball — a great time
  12. court — of law
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. game — wild animals
  17. court — for sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. toast — bread
  22. kick — in football
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. squash — the vegetable

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