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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: scale · bat · cap · charge · mate · fine · ruler · sharp

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cap — a lid
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cap — of ice
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mate — to breed
  9. charge — a price
  10. mate — a friend
  11. charge — in control
  12. scale — in music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fine — all right
  16. bat — the animal
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. scale — size or range
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. fine — high quality
  24. sharp — exactly

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