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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: track · bear · face · degree · mark · mug · wound · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. track — a song
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. face — to point toward
  6. track — a path
  7. court — of law
  8. wound — an injury
  9. degree — temperature
  10. face — to confront
  11. mug — to rob
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. degree — an amount
  15. mug — a face
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. face — part of the head
  20. degree — from a university
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

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