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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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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: ruler · face · firm · temple · fall · leaves · court · pitch

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. face — part of the head
  4. court — of law
  5. fall — to drop
  6. firm — a company
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. firm — steady
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fall — the season
  14. face — to confront
  15. firm — decided
  16. court — for sport
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitch — completely
  24. face — to point toward

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