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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 120 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: net · charge · court · track · hide · face · cue · hand

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. face — to point toward
  3. track — to keep track
  4. court — for sport
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. track — a song
  7. cue — for pool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. net — in sport
  11. cue — a hint
  12. court — of law
  13. track — a path
  14. net — after costs
  15. cue — a signal
  16. court — of a king
  17. hand — in cards
  18. face — to confront
  19. hand — help
  20. charge — electricity
  21. face — part of the head
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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