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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 · bound · charge · present · staff · hide · racket · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. present — a gift
  3. charge — electricity
  4. present — the time now
  5. scale — in music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. staff — employees
  8. fall — the season
  9. bound — tied together
  10. scale — size or range
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bound — certain
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — there
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bound — obliged
  19. charge — a price
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. charge — in control

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