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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: ground · court · vault · fine · charge · roll · shower · face

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. fine — all right
  7. roll — a cake
  8. court — of law
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. charge — in control
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. face — to confront
  16. ground — the earth
  17. court — for sport
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. vault — a safe
  23. fine — high quality
  24. court — of a king

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