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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.

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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: fall · mouse · bat · scale · board · bear · charge · pit

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. scale — in music
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. charge — in control
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bat — the animal
  13. board — to get on
  14. charge — a price
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. charge — electricity
  24. board — a flat piece

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