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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 116 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: charge · chair · calf · scale · face · field

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. 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. calf — a young animal
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. field — for sport
  4. face — to point toward
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. charge — electricity
  7. chair — a leader
  8. field — a subject
  9. scale — in music
  10. field — farmland
  11. scale — size or range
  12. face — part of the head
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. charge — in control
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. charge — a price
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. 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