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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: wake · staff · face · rock · net · court · degree · charge

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. charge — a price
  3. net — in sport
  4. staff — employees
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. net — after costs
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rock — a stone
  13. face — to confront
  14. degree — temperature
  15. staff — employees
  16. court — of law
  17. charge — in control
  18. net — for catching
  19. rock — music
  20. staff — a stick
  21. face — part of the head
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wake — a trail
  24. court — for sport

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