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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wake · season · ball · pound · deal · face · mark · court

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. court — of law
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mark — a grade
  6. season — of the year
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. court — for sport
  10. face — part of the head
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wake — a trail
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mark — a trace
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. court — of a king
  19. season — in sport
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. face — to confront
  24. deal — a big deal

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