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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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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. court — for sport
  3. face — to confront
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bore — to drill
  6. court — of a king
  7. key — the most important part
  8. face — part of the head
  9. key — in music
  10. face — to point toward
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stand — to bear
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. court — of 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