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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: stand · racket · season · mark · present · scale · fine · charge

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. charge — in control
  9. scale — size or range
  10. present — there
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fine — all right
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. charge — a price
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mark — a grade
  18. scale — in music
  19. mark — a trace
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. season — in sport
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stand — on your feet

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