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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 116 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: chair · bowl · court · cue · fine · face · row · bear

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. row — to paddle
  3. fine — high quality
  4. court — of a king
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bear — the animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. face — to point toward
  15. chair — a leader
  16. face — to confront
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cue — for pool
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. row — a line
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bear — to put up with

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