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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. court — for sport
  4. firm — a company
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wound — an injury
  7. court — of a king
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. face — to confront
  10. firm — steady
  11. face — to point toward
  12. can — a tin
  13. track — a path
  14. lie — to recline
  15. can — a tin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. can — to be able to
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. firm — decided
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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