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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. band — a ring
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. band — a music group
  7. mark — a trace
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lie — to recline
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. court — for sport
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. face — part of the head
  14. game — wild animals
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. game — a match
  17. rule — government
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rule — a law
  20. face — to confront
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. face — to point toward
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. band — a rubber band

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