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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: court · face · last · temple · board · pitch · chair · hand

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. court — of law
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. last — final
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. chair — a leader
  8. court — of a king
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. face — to point toward
  13. hand — in cards
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pitch — completely
  17. last — finally
  18. court — for sport
  19. face — to confront
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. last — to go on
  22. hand — help
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. temple — a place of worship

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