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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. staff — a stick
  4. court — of a king
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. present — there
  7. face — to confront
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. hand — help
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. roll — a list
  13. present — the time now
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. court — of law
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. hand — in cards
  19. present — a gift
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. roll — a cake
  22. court — for sport
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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