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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 116 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: dip · kick · ball · game · ruler · sharp · suit · spring

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spring — a coil
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. kick — in football
  8. suit — clothes
  9. ball — a great time
  10. suit — to fit
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. sharp — clever
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. suit — in cards
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. game — wild animals
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. dip — to sink
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. ruler — for measuring

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