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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: scale · pit · prune · safe · game · kick · charge · bat

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. scale — size or range
  3. prune — to trim
  4. charge — electricity
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. game — wild animals
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. game — a match
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pit — in a race
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pit — a hole
  17. kick — in football
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. scale — in music
  22. bat — the animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. charge — a price

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