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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 116 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: kick · mine · court · swing · mug · bay · cabinet · fine

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. court — for sport
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mug — to rob
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. fine — all right
  10. swing — in golf
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mug — a face
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. kick — in football

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