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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 116 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: mark · bat · face · ruler · swing · staff · season · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. swing — in golf
  3. court — of a king
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. staff — a stick
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. staff — employees
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. court — for sport
  14. bat — the animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. swing — to play on
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. swing — music
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. staff — employees
  23. mark — a grade
  24. season — of the year

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