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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bass — low music
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. face — to confront
  5. firm — decided
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pound — a weight
  10. firm — a company
  11. charge — in control
  12. mark — a grade
  13. firm — steady
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. court — of a king
  24. mark — a trace

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