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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ground — a position
  4. object — a thing
  5. face — to point toward
  6. court — of a king
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. court — of law
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. face — to confront
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. object — to protest
  18. foot — a measure
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. object — an aim
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. court — for sport

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