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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. face — part of the head
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. court — of law
  6. suit — to fit
  7. race — humankind
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pound — a weight
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mark — a grade
  13. suit — in cards
  14. face — to confront
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. race — a contest
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mark — a trace
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — money
  22. suit — clothes
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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