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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 120 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: cap · file · coach · face · court · mark · bowl · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. file — a line of people
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cap — a lid
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. face — to confront
  9. pop — soda
  10. court — for sport
  11. file — a tool
  12. mark — a grade
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. court — of a king
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. court — of law
  19. face — to point toward
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pop — to visit
  24. file — a document

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