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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: pitcher · bay · fine · capital · court · pound · kick · deal

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pound — a weight
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fine — high quality
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. capital — a city
  9. deal — to handle
  10. court — of law
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. court — of a king
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. fine — all right
  16. court — for sport
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. capital — money
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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