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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. face — to point toward
  3. court — of a king
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. firm — decided
  6. face — to confront
  7. current — of water
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. net — in sport
  10. track — a song
  11. firm — a company
  12. court — for sport
  13. face — part of the head
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. current — happening now
  17. date — the fruit
  18. current — electric
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. firm — steady
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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