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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: fall · face · cue · court · ground · march · wind · fork

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. march — the month
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. court — of a king
  5. fall — the season
  6. court — of law
  7. fork — in a road
  8. ground — crushed
  9. march — music
  10. ground — a position
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. ground — the earth
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. face — to point toward
  21. court — for sport
  22. fall — to drop
  23. march — the month
  24. face — to confront

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