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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. court — of a king
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bound — obliged
  5. court — for sport
  6. face — to confront
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. row — to paddle
  17. content — happy
  18. scale — size or range
  19. content — the amount
  20. mate — a friend
  21. court — of law
  22. scale — in music
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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