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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
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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: scale · field · racket · drill · lie · march · lean · charge

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. field — farmland
  3. march — the month
  4. field — a subject
  5. scale — in music
  6. march — music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. charge — in control
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. charge — electricity
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. charge — a price
  15. lean — thin
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. march — the month
  19. lean — to bend
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. lie — to recline
  22. drill — the tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. field — for sport

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