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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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Word bank
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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: firm · court · face · key · fine · date · pound · wake

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. key — in music
  3. fine — high quality
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. face — to confront
  6. key — the most important part
  7. firm — decided
  8. court — for sport
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. court — of law
  14. firm — a company
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fine — all right
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pound — a weight
  20. face — to point toward
  21. firm — steady
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. court — of a king
  24. wake — a trail

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