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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.

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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: club · present · scale · mate · spring · court · bear · face

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. face — to point toward
  3. club — for dancing
  4. present — there
  5. spring — the season
  6. face — to confront
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. club — a group
  10. court — for sport
  11. club — for golf
  12. bear — the animal
  13. scale — in music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. present — a gift
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. present — the time now
  19. spring — a coil
  20. face — part of the head
  21. scale — size or range
  22. mate — to breed
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mate — a friend

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