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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · land · racket · rock · scale · wake · charge · face

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. face — part of the head
  10. charge — in control
  11. scale — size or range
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. file — a tool
  15. charge — a price
  16. face — to confront
  17. file — a line of people
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rock — music
  20. scale — in music
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. land — a country
  23. file — a document
  24. rock — to move gently

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