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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 116 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: prune · face · can · pitcher · charge · scale · pit · board

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. charge — a price
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. can — a tin
  7. scale — size or range
  8. can — a tin
  9. charge — in control
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pit — a hole
  13. scale — in music
  14. board — to get on
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. can — to be able to
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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