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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
468
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 · pitcher · nail · safe · pound · capital · net · court

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. court — for sport
  4. capital — money
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. kick — in football
  7. court — of law
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pound — a weight
  16. capital — a city
  17. court — of a king
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. net — in sport
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. safe — out of danger

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