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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
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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: foot · scale · pitcher · spring · charge · safe · stand · court

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spring — of water
  4. court — of law
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. spring — a coil
  7. scale — size or range
  8. stand — to bear
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. charge — in control
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. foot — a measure
  19. court — for sport
  20. spring — the season
  21. court — of a king
  22. charge — a price
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. scale — in music

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