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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. mark — a trace
  3. court — of law
  4. ball — a dance
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. face — part of the head
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pass — a permit
  13. swing — music
  14. cell — a phone
  15. face — to confront
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. court — for sport
  18. rock — music
  19. court — of a king
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. face — to point toward
  24. ball — a great time

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