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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 116 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: staff · game · stand · racket · face · mate · sharp · charge

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mate — a friend
  3. staff — a stick
  4. game — wild animals
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. face — part of the head
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. mate — a partner
  10. charge — electricity
  11. face — to point toward
  12. charge — in control
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. sharp — clever
  18. game — a match
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. charge — a price
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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