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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: perch · scale · press · bat · charge · capital · bank · pitch

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. perch — the fish
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pitch — completely
  9. charge — a price
  10. bank — of a river
  11. press — newspapers
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. charge — in control
  14. press — to push
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bank — for money
  17. scale — in music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bank — for money
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. capital — a city
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. capital — money

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