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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: ball · bass · season · scale · cabinet · current · charge · wake

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. charge — a price
  4. season — in sport
  5. bass — low music
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. current — of water
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. current — electric
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — of the year
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wake — a trail
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. charge — in control
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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