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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: stick · saw · court · capital · wave · rule · kick · present

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. present — there
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. court — of law
  9. rule — government
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. capital — a city
  12. rule — a law
  13. court — of a king
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. present — a gift
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. capital — money
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. present — the time now
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. court — for sport
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wave — with your hand

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