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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: capital · scale · face · sharp · date · march · charge · bass

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. face — part of the head
  3. scale — size or range
  4. capital — money
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. date — the fruit
  8. face — to confront
  9. scale — in music
  10. capital — a city
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bass — the fish
  14. charge — electricity
  15. march — music
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. charge — a price
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. charge — in control

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