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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. net — for catching
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. face — to point toward
  10. ball — a dance
  11. field — a subject
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. net — in sport
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. field — farmland
  20. face — to confront
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. field — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. net — after costs

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