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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: racket · bank · scale · rock · lie · fine · chair · charge

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. charge — a price
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. scale — size or range
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bank — for money
  16. charge — electricity
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bank — for money
  21. charge — in control
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bank — of a river

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