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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.

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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: squash · coach · court · ball · bear · lie · land · fine

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ball — a dance
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. court — for sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. court — of a king
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. court — of law
  12. lie — to recline
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. squash — to crush
  17. land — a country
  18. fine — high quality
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — ground
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fine — all right
  24. squash — the vegetable

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