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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: bulb · kick · deal · toast · rest · can · court · hand

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. can — a tin
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. court — of law
  9. toast — bread
  10. hand — help
  11. court — of a king
  12. rest — what's left
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rest — what's left
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rest — a break
  18. court — for sport
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. can — to be able to
  22. kick — in football
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hand — in cards

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