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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. mate — a friend
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. bore — to tire
  14. court — of law
  15. mate — a partner
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. stock — shares
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stock — goods
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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