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

Word bank: board · court · pit · temple · fall · tear · file · charge

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  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. file — a tool
  2. charge — in control
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. fall — to drop
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fall — the season
  11. board — a committee
  12. tear — from crying
  13. charge — electricity
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. board — to get on
  16. file — a document
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. tear — from crying
  19. file — a line of people
  20. charge — a price
  21. pit — a hole
  22. fall — to drop
  23. tear — to rip
  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