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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: fan · court · pitch · drill · saw · fine · charge · staff

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. court — for sport
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitch — completely
  8. drill — a practice
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fine — all right
  12. charge — in control
  13. staff — employees
  14. saw — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. court — of law
  18. court — of a king
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. staff — a stick
  24. fan — a supporter

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