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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. net — after costs
  6. ball — a great time
  7. face — part of the head
  8. net — for catching
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pit — in a race
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. court — for sport
  14. face — to confront
  15. can — a tin
  16. face — to point toward
  17. ball — a dance
  18. can — a tin
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. court — of a king
  21. pit — a hole
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. can — to be able to
  24. net — in 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