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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. court — for sport
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. face — to confront
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. capital — a city
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rock — music
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. capital — money
  22. race — a contest
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. race — humankind

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