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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. court — of a king
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stock — shares
  5. court — of law
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stock — goods
  18. pound — a weight
  19. face — to confront
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mate — a partner
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. court — for sport
  24. squash — to crush

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