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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: drill · charge · mug · face · fork · cabinet · stock · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. drill — a practice
  3. mug — a cup
  4. scale — in music
  5. charge — a price
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. charge — electricity
  10. face — part of the head
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. charge — in control
  13. drill — army training
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stock — shares
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. drill — the tool
  23. stock — goods
  24. cabinet — ministers

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