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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. cue — a signal
  3. court — of a king
  4. bound — tied together
  5. face — to confront
  6. bound — obliged
  7. spell — a short time
  8. court — of law
  9. tube — a container
  10. object — an aim
  11. spell — letters
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. object — a thing
  14. tube — the underground
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bound — certain
  20. spell — magic
  21. cue — for pool
  22. object — to protest
  23. cue — a hint
  24. face — part of the head

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