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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. face — to confront
  3. court — of law
  4. face — part of the head
  5. game — a match
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chest — a box
  8. game — wild animals
  9. face — to point toward
  10. net — for catching
  11. court — of a king
  12. net — in sport
  13. chest — of your body
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. net — after costs
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. chest — of your body
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. court — for sport

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