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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. charge — in control
  4. capital — money
  5. court — for sport
  6. row — to paddle
  7. face — to point toward
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. charge — a price
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lie — to recline
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. capital — a city
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. court — of a king
  18. row — a line
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. bass — low music
  22. charge — electricity
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bass — the instrument

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