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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: bank · ball · scale · lie · cell · content · racket · charge

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bank — for money
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. content — happy
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cell — in biology
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bank — for money
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cell — a phone
  14. lie — to recline
  15. scale — in music
  16. bank — of a river
  17. content — the amount
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. scale — size or range
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. charge — a price
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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