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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: track · scale · cabinet · wave · charge · face · branch · pitcher

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. face — part of the head
  3. track — a song
  4. charge — in control
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. charge — electricity
  11. face — to confront
  12. charge — a price
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. scale — in music
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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