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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: mug · court · hide · hand · face · kick · chair · scale

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. kick — in football
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. face — part of the head
  7. chair — a leader
  8. court — for sport
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. face — to confront
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. hand — in cards
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. court — of law
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mug — a cup

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