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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. firm — a company
  3. stock — goods
  4. bound — tied together
  5. court — of law
  6. face — to confront
  7. bound — obliged
  8. root — the cause
  9. face — to point toward
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. court — of a king
  12. face — part of the head
  13. firm — steady
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bound — certain
  23. firm — decided
  24. stock — shares

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