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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: key · shower · kick · court · pop · firm · suit · kid

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. kid — to tease
  3. firm — decided
  4. pop — to visit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pop — music
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. court — of law
  10. shower — to wash
  11. key — for a lock
  12. firm — a company
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. key — the most important part
  15. court — for sport
  16. suit — to fit
  17. court — of a king
  18. kid — child
  19. key — in music
  20. kick — in football
  21. firm — steady
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pop — soda
  24. kick — with a leg

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