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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: rest · face · pitch · mate · stand · bound · current · court

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. court — for sport
  3. face — to point toward
  4. current — electric
  5. bound — tied together
  6. stand — to bear
  7. court — of law
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. rest — a break
  12. bound — certain
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. current — happening now
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. court — of a king
  18. bound — obliged
  19. current — of water
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rest — what's left

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