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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: dip · leaves · degree · face · ball · stick · band · court

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. court — for sport
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. band — a ring
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. band — a music group
  14. degree — an amount
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. degree — from a university
  18. ball — a great time
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. dip — to sink
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. degree — temperature

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