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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. court — of a king
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. rash — hasty
  6. board — a committee
  7. object — a thing
  8. stem — to come from
  9. date — the fruit
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. court — for sport
  14. rash — a series
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. object — an aim
  20. kick — in football
  21. object — to protest
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rash — on the skin
  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