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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · bass · temple · face · court · present · dip · root

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. court — of a king
  3. present — the time now
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. court — for sport
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. face — to point toward
  9. charge — a price
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. face — to confront
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. court — of law
  15. present — there
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bass — low music
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bass — the fish
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. charge — in control
  22. present — a gift
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. root — the cause

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