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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. face — to confront
  3. court — for sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. bass — the fish
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. face — to point toward
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. court — of law
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. vault — a safe
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bass — low music
  21. game — a match
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. court — of a king
  24. face — part of the head

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