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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: swing · sharp · pit · kick · rest · court · ruler · toast

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pit — a hole
  3. toast — bread
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rest — a break
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. swing — music
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rest — what's left
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. swing — to play on
  19. sharp — clever
  20. court — of a king
  21. pit — in a race
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ruler — a monarch

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