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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. court — for sport
  3. face — part of the head
  4. court — of a king
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bass — low music
  8. face — to confront
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. spell — magic
  13. game — wild animals
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. spell — letters
  17. court — of law
  18. bass — the fish
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. spell — a short time

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