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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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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: charge · mate · face · stick · bank · present · root · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. present — there
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. court — of law
  7. face — to confront
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. charge — a price
  10. mate — a friend
  11. present — a gift
  12. mate — to breed
  13. charge — in control
  14. face — to point toward
  15. root — the cause
  16. bank — for money
  17. charge — electricity
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. present — the time now
  22. bank — for money
  23. court — of a king
  24. mate — a partner

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