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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: wave · face · court · trunk · charge · fine · field · ground

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. field — farmland
  3. charge — a price
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. face — to point toward
  6. charge — in control
  7. court — of a king
  8. field — for sport
  9. court — for sport
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. charge — electricity
  14. face — to confront
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. court — of law
  17. face — part of the head
  18. fine — all right
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. field — a subject
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wave — with your hand

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