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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 120 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
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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: wave · temple · ball · prune · chair · sharp · scale · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chair — a leader
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ball — a great time
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. scale — size or range
  13. ball — a dance
  14. sharp — clever
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. charge — a price
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. scale — in music

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