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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: foot · jam · court · patient · bark · kid · kick · plane

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bark — to shout
  3. court — for sport
  4. plane — a tool
  5. kid — child
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. court — of law
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. kick — in football
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. kid — to tease
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. court — of a king
  17. foot — a measure
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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