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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: cabinet · sharp · ball · bay · chest · court · ruler · kick

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. court — of a king
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. court — of law
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. kick — in football
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ball — a dance
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. court — for sport
  24. kick — with a leg

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