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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bound — certain
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. mark — a trace
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. press — newspapers
  12. field — a subject
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. sharp — clever
  15. field — farmland
  16. press — to push
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bound — obliged
  21. press — a publisher
  22. field — for sport
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. face — to confront

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