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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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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: kick · lean · drill · nail · date · court · ball · deal

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. ball — a dance
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. date — the fruit
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. lean — to bend
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. court — of a king
  14. ball — a great time
  15. drill — army training
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. deal — to handle
  21. kick — in football
  22. court — for sport
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. court — of law

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