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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: saw · court · rest · bulb · mine · object · kick · pit

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. object — to protest
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rest — what's left
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. object — a thing
  9. pit — in a race
  10. court — of a king
  11. saw — the tool
  12. court — for sport
  13. rest — a break
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. object — an aim
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. court — of law
  24. pit — a hole

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