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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: ball · charge · prune · pitch · hand · scale · board · chip

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ball — a great time
  3. prune — to trim
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. charge — in control
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. charge — a price
  11. prune — to trim
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ball — a dance
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. scale — in music
  17. hand — help
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. chip — for betting
  20. charge — electricity
  21. board — to get on
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pitch — completely
  24. chip — to eat

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