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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. face — part of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. face — to point toward
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. court — of law
  9. mate — a partner
  10. board — to get on
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. court — of a king
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mate — a friend
  18. face — to confront
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. court — for sport
  23. board — a committee
  24. mate — to breed

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