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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: scale · season · sharp · leaves · capital · snap · mark · kick

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — money
  4. season — of the year
  5. mark — a grade
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. capital — a city
  8. sharp — clever
  9. season — in sport
  10. kick — in football
  11. scale — in music
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mark — a trace
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. season — to add flavour

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