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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: capital · face · court · foot · suit · pass · pound · ground

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. court — of law
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. ground — a position
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. capital — money
  9. face — to confront
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. capital — a city
  13. court — for sport
  14. ground — the earth
  15. suit — to fit
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. ground — crushed
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pound — a weight
  21. suit — in cards
  22. court — of a king
  23. face — to point toward
  24. foot — a measure

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