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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: deal · fork · charge · kick · pitcher · craft · court · drill

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. court — of a king
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — a skill
  7. court — for sport
  8. charge — electricity
  9. craft — boats
  10. court — of law
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. charge — a price
  17. kick — in football
  18. drill — army training
  19. charge — in control
  20. drill — the tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. drill — a practice
  24. fork — in a road

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