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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
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: charge · pit · mug · bay · mate · calf · bat · scale

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mug — to rob
  3. charge — a price
  4. bat — the animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. charge — in control
  7. mug — a cup
  8. scale — size or range
  9. mug — a face
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. pit — a hole

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