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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: mate · roll · scale · temple · date · charge · bat · board

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. roll — a list
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mate — a friend
  6. scale — in music
  7. mate — a partner
  8. roll — a cake
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. scale — size or range
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. mate — to breed
  19. charge — a price
  20. board — a committee
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. board — to get on

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