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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. court — for sport
  3. face — to point toward
  4. court — of law
  5. face — part of the head
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. charge — a price
  9. fine — all right
  10. court — of a king
  11. face — to confront
  12. fine — high quality
  13. track — a path
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stand — to bear
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cap — of ice
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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