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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. charge — in control
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. charge — a price
  5. face — to confront
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. game — a match
  8. court — of a king
  9. date — the fruit
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. charge — electricity
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. firm — decided
  15. court — for sport
  16. face — part of the head
  17. firm — steady
  18. face — to point toward
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. court — of law
  22. firm — a company
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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