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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: charge · temple · object · scale · bank · cell · cold · ball

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. object — a thing
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bank — for money
  7. charge — a price
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. scale — in music
  11. bank — for money
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cold — an illness
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cold — not warm
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. cell — a phone
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bank — of a river
  24. scale — size or range

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