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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 · pass · tear · capital · charge · branch · pitcher · lean

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tear — from crying
  6. charge — electricity
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lean — thin
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. charge — a price
  11. lean — to bend
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. branch — a division
  15. tear — to rip
  16. charge — in control
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. capital — money
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. capital — a city
  24. pitcher — a jug

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