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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: capital · scale · mouse · press · mate · rash · staff · kick

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. capital — a city
  5. rash — hasty
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mate — a friend
  8. press — to push
  9. kick — in football
  10. staff — a stick
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. staff — employees
  14. mate — a partner
  15. capital — money
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. press — newspapers
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rash — a series
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. staff — employees
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. scale — size or range

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