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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 120 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rock — music
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. firm — a company
  6. race — a contest
  7. board — a committee
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. race — the arms race
  10. court — for sport
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. firm — decided
  14. race — humankind
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. court — of law
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. firm — steady
  24. board — to get on

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