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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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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. court — of law
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. squash — to crush
  11. face — part of the head
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. court — for sport
  19. face — to confront
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. squash — the sport
  23. face — to point toward
  24. toast — bread

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