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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 116 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: scale · cabinet · face · court · last · deal · fork · bulb

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. face — to confront
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. bulb — for light
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. court — of law

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