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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 · charge · net · calf · prune · suit · capital · court

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. suit — to fit
  3. charge — in control
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. court — for sport
  6. suit — in cards
  7. scale — in music
  8. net — after costs
  9. capital — money
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. scale — size or range
  12. capital — a city
  13. court — of a king
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. charge — electricity
  16. suit — clothes
  17. net — in sport
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. court — of law
  20. prune — to trim
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. charge — a price
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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