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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: charge · present · cap · chip · march · can · mate · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. march — music
  5. chip — for betting
  6. present — a gift
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cap — a lid
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. scale — in music
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cap — of ice
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. present — the time now
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chip — to eat
  23. scale — size or range
  24. present — there

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