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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pop — soda
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pop — music
  9. face — part of the head
  10. court — of law
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bear — the animal
  17. court — for sport
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. face — to confront
  21. pop — to visit
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rock — music
  24. court — of a king

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