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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: march · ball · fan · object · pop · court · toast · face

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ball — a dance
  3. march — music
  4. ball — a great time
  5. face — to point toward
  6. court — for sport
  7. march — the month
  8. face — part of the head
  9. court — of a king
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. toast — bread
  14. object — a thing
  15. march — the month
  16. face — to confront
  17. pop — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. court — of law
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. object — to protest
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. object — an aim

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