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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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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: bowl · key · bulb · deal · race · face · court · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. rule — a law
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. race — humankind
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bulb — for light
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. court — for sport
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. race — a contest
  16. rule — government
  17. face — to confront
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. face — part of the head
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bulb — for light
  22. court — of a king
  23. deal — an agreement
  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