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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bat — the animal
  3. court — of law
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. face — to confront
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. face — part of the head
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. court — of a king
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. staff — employees
  24. present — there

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