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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: court · face · mate · scale · pit · lie · charge · bank

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pit — in a race
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mate — a friend
  6. charge — in control
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bank — for money
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. court — of law
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. charge — electricity
  13. scale — in music
  14. mate — a partner
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bank — for money
  18. pit — a hole
  19. scale — size or range
  20. face — to confront
  21. court — for sport
  22. bank — of a river
  23. court — of a king
  24. charge — a price

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