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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: game · scale · suit · capital · kick · spell · mouse · lean

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. scale — in music
  3. kick — in football
  4. capital — a city
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. capital — money
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. spell — letters
  19. game — wild animals
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. spell — magic

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