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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: fine · pitch · face · charge · court · foot · ground · drill

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ground — a position
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. charge — electricity
  7. face — to confront
  8. ground — the earth
  9. court — for sport
  10. drill — a practice
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fine — high quality
  16. face — to point toward
  17. court — of a king
  18. drill — army training
  19. charge — in control
  20. fine — all right
  21. drill — the tool
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. court — of law
  24. charge — a price

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