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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 120 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: ball · kid · kick · rule · pitcher · nail · bound · mate

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rule — a law
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bound — tied together
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. kick — in football
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mate — a friend
  12. kid — to tease
  13. mate — a partner
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mate — to breed
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kid — child
  18. rule — government
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bound — certain
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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