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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. ground — a position
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. court — for sport
  9. face — to point toward
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. ground — crushed
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. object — a thing
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. face — part of the head
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. face — to confront
  24. ground — the earth

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