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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: fork · degree · stand · stick · kick · face · cell · court

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. degree — temperature
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. face — to confront
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — in biology
  7. kick — in football
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. court — of a king
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cell — a phone
  22. degree — from a university
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. degree — an amount

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