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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
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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: object · mark · fan · court · ball · kick · wound · spell

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wound — an injury
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. ball — a great time
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. spell — letters
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. kick — in football
  19. spell — a short time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. court — for sport
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spell — magic

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