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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. court — of a king
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cue — a signal
  5. ball — a great time
  6. face — to confront
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. court — of law
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. court — for sport
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rule — government
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rule — a law

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