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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. face — to point toward
  3. court — for sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. net — in sport
  7. face — to confront
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bear — the animal
  10. court — of a king
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mark — a trace
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. net — after costs
  21. court — of law
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rock — a stone
  24. safe — a strongbox

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