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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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 — for sport
  2. rule — a law
  3. net — after costs
  4. face — part of the head
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. court — of a king
  8. bank — of a river
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. face — to confront
  12. court — of law
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. net — for catching
  15. rush — hurry
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rule — government
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bank — for money
  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