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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 116 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. face — to confront
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. court — of law
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. object — to protest
  7. ground — crushed
  8. object — an aim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. kick — in football
  11. object — a thing
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. prune — to trim
  16. face — part of the head
  17. court — of a king
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. face — to point toward
  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