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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pop — to visit
  5. face — to confront
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — for sport
  8. pop — music
  9. rule — a law
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. face — to point toward
  14. stock — shares
  15. rule — government
  16. pop — soda
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stock — goods
  23. court — of law
  24. cabinet — ministers

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