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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. court — for sport
  3. face — to confront
  4. court — of a king
  5. track — a path
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. court — of law
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. march — the month
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. firm — a company
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. march — music
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. march — the month
  23. track — a song
  24. firm — decided

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