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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: trunk · kid · key · bear · nail · ball · firm · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. firm — decided
  4. ball — a dance
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bear — the animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. firm — a company
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. firm — steady
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. court — of law
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bear — the animal
  23. court — of a king
  24. trunk — of a tree

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