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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: scale · mate · pit · pitcher · charge · wind · spell · fine

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. scale — in music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. spell — letters
  6. mate — a partner
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. spell — a short time
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mate — a friend
  15. charge — in control
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wind — moving air
  18. charge — a price
  19. fine — all right
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pit — in a race
  22. spell — magic
  23. pit — a hole
  24. fine — high quality

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