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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 · safe · rest · racket · court · pitcher · scale · track

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. track — to keep track
  3. charge — in control
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. court — for sport
  7. track — a path
  8. court — of law
  9. scale — size or range
  10. court — of a king
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. charge — electricity
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. scale — in music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rest — what's left
  18. track — a song
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rest — a break
  21. charge — a price
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitcher — a jug

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