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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: court · jam · snap · hide · fan · ball · face · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. face — to confront
  6. court — of a king
  7. mug — to rob
  8. court — of law
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. face — to point toward
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. mug — a face
  22. court — for sport
  23. snap — to click
  24. face — part of the head

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