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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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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: pit · net · march · pop · rush · toast · court · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. rush — hurry
  4. net — after costs
  5. face — to confront
  6. court — of a king
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pop — music
  10. march — the month
  11. pit — in a race
  12. court — for sport
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pop — soda
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. net — for catching
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. net — in sport
  19. court — of law
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. toast — bread
  24. pop — to visit

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