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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: ball · kid · kick · jam · court · plane · leaves · wound

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. kick — in football
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wound — an injury
  8. kid — child
  9. wound — an injury
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. kid — to tease
  13. court — of a king
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. court — of law
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. court — for sport
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. ball — a dance

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