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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. cap — a hat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. face — part of the head
  10. court — of law
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. court — for sport
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. face — to point toward
  19. branch — a division
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. face — to confront
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. cap — a lid

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