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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.

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: craft · pitch · net · present · scale · fork · face · charge

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. present — there
  4. scale — in music
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. charge — a price
  8. pitch — completely
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. present — the time now
  12. net — in sport
  13. present — a gift
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. craft — a skill
  18. charge — electricity
  19. net — after costs
  20. craft — boats
  21. face — part of the head
  22. net — for catching
  23. charge — in control
  24. fork — in a road

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