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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.

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: game · racket · cap · mine · face · court · foot · bore

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mine — for digging
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. game — a match
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. face — to confront
  14. cap — a hat
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. game — wild animals
  18. court — for sport
  19. foot — a measure
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. face — to point toward

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