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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.

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: key · file · fine · kick · board · court · branch · deal

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. court — of a king
  3. key — for a lock
  4. kick — in football
  5. file — a tool
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. branch — a division
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fine — all right
  11. key — in music
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. file — a document
  15. court — for sport
  16. key — the most important part
  17. file — a line of people
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. deal — to handle
  20. board — to get on
  21. fine — high quality
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. court — of law
  24. branch — 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