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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: deal · kick · tube · rock · field · mug · nail · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. mug — a face
  4. field — farmland
  5. rock — a stone
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mug — a cup
  9. field — for sport
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. kick — in football
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mug — to rob
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. court — of law
  21. deal — to handle
  22. field — a subject
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rock — music

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