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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: pit · ball · kid · spell · present · charge · lean · scale

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. charge — electricity
  6. spell — magic
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pit — a hole
  9. present — the time now
  10. kid — to tease
  11. present — a gift
  12. lean — thin
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. kid — child
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. present — there
  19. scale — in music
  20. charge — a price
  21. pit — in a race
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. charge — in control

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