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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.

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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: charge · court · mark · capital · lash · safe · scale · wound

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mark — a grade
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. court — for sport
  9. scale — in music
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. capital — money
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. court — of a king
  17. charge — in control
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. capital — a city
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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