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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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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: foot · face · rule · court · mug · mine · sharp · bowl

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. court — of law
  3. mug — a cup
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. face — to confront
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rule — a law
  23. face — to point toward
  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