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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 120 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pit — a hole
  4. field — farmland
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. field — for sport
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. face — to point toward
  10. court — for sport
  11. rule — government
  12. court — of law
  13. face — part of the head
  14. field — a subject
  15. rule — a law
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. face — to confront
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lie — to recline
  22. court — of a king
  23. pit — in a race
  24. game — a match

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