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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.

Make a worksheet

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: game · scale · charge · hand · pitcher · season · court · bowl

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. court — of law
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. game — wild animals
  8. season — of the year
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. court — of a king
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. scale — size or range
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. season — in sport
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. scale — in music
  19. charge — a price
  20. hand — help
  21. court — for sport
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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