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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: mine · cue · fork · can · ball · lean · kid · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mine — for digging
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. can — a tin
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ball — a dance
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. kid — child
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fork — in a road
  13. lean — thin
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. can — a tin
  18. cue — for pool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cue — a hint
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. cue — a signal
  24. can — to be able to

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