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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: charge · leaves · cap · calf · perch · pitcher · drill · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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 — size or range
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. drill — a practice
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. drill — army training
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cap — a lid
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. charge — in control
  19. cap — a hat
  20. charge — a price
  21. perch — the fish
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  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