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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 120 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: squash · court · object · ball · kick · arm · nail · sharp

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. object — a thing
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. sharp — clever
  8. squash — the sport
  9. court — of law
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. object — to protest
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. kick — in football
  18. object — an aim
  19. ball — a great time
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ball — a dance
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. squash — to crush
  24. arm — a part of something

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