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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: pitch · dip · mine · net · face · charge · bound · temple

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. net — for catching
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. net — in sport
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bound — tied together
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mine — for digging
  21. charge — in control
  22. net — after costs
  23. bound — certain
  24. face — to confront

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