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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: mouse · present · ball · march · lash · capital · scale · charge

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. scale — in music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. charge — a price
  6. capital — a city
  7. ball — a great time
  8. march — the month
  9. charge — electricity
  10. march — music
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ball — a dance
  13. capital — money
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. present — the time now
  16. charge — in control
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. present — there
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. march — the month
  23. present — a gift
  24. mouse — the animal

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