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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 · wave · capital · suit · mate · march · leaves · field

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. suit — in cards
  3. capital — money
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. scale — in music
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. suit — clothes
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. field — for sport
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. suit — to fit
  17. field — a subject
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. march — the month
  21. field — farmland
  22. march — music
  23. capital — a city
  24. march — the month

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