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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · game · bay · lean · kick · court · deal · season

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. game — a match
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. game — wild animals
  7. court — of a king
  8. lean — thin
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. kick — in football
  11. deal — to handle
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. court — of law
  14. season — of the year
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. season — in sport
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. court — for sport

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