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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rest — a break
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wake — a trail
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. staff — employees
  7. court — for sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. court — of law
  10. hand — help
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bark — to shout
  21. face — to point toward
  22. chip — to eat
  23. staff — a stick
  24. face — to confront

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