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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. firm — a company
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pass — a permit
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. firm — decided
  16. court — of law
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. firm — steady
  20. face — part of the head
  21. spell — a short time
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rock — to move gently

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