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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · game · key · date · fork · court · hide · rash

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. key — in music
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rash — a series
  5. key — for a lock
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. face — part of the head
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. face — to point toward
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. court — of law
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. court — for sport
  21. face — to confront
  22. court — of a king
  23. date — the fruit
  24. key — the most important part

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