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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: game · scale · last · stick · ground · racket · charge · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. scale — size or range
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. last — finally
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. scale — in music
  11. ground — crushed
  12. last — to go on
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. ground — a position
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. game — a match
  22. ground — the earth
  23. last — final
  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