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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 120 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: mouse · wave · trunk · leaves · pop · scale · capital · pound

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pop — to visit
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pop — soda
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. scale — in music
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. capital — a city
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. scale — size or range
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pop — music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mouse — for a computer

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