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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 120 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.

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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: bay · lie · field · cap · tube · suit · scale · charge

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. tube — the underground
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. field — farmland
  6. charge — in control
  7. cap — a lid
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cap — of ice
  11. field — a subject
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. tube — a container
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. charge — a price
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lie — to recline
  20. suit — to fit
  21. field — for sport
  22. charge — electricity
  23. scale — in music
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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