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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: jam · mouse · rest · sharp · court · land · present · face

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. court — of a king
  3. present — the time now
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. sharp — clever
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. face — to point toward
  13. court — for sport
  14. land — to come down
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. court — of law
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. face — to confront
  20. land — ground
  21. rest — a break
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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