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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 120 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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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: pit · racket · temple · dip · foot · court · deal · face

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. deal — to handle
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. dip — to sink
  11. court — for sport
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pit — a hole
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. court — of law
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pit — in a race
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. foot — a measure
  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