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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: face · sharp · mate · firm · ball · court · net · rock

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. face — part of the head
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. rock — music
  9. face — to confront
  10. mate — to breed
  11. firm — a company
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mate — a friend
  14. sharp — clever
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. court — of law
  21. mate — a partner
  22. face — to point toward
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of a king

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