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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bass — low music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. board — to get on
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. face — to point toward
  10. board — a committee
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. fall — to drop
  13. sharp — clever
  14. fine — high quality
  15. face — to confront
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bass — the fish
  18. court — for sport
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. fine — all right
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. face — part of the head

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