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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: mug · field · bat · scale · mate · charge · deal · lie

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. field — farmland
  5. scale — in music
  6. mug — a face
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. field — for sport
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. field — a subject
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. charge — a price
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mug — a cup
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mate — a partner
  20. scale — size or range
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mug — to rob
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bat — for baseball

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