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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · present · club · fan · bay · tear · stick · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. present — the time now
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. present — there
  9. club — for golf
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. court — for sport
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. tear — from crying
  17. club — for dancing
  18. face — to confront
  19. court — of a king
  20. present — a gift
  21. tear — to rip
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. club — a group
  24. tear — from crying

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