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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 116 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: scale · cap · charge · mouse · leaves · kid · ground · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. charge — electricity
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cap — a lid
  8. scale — size or range
  9. kid — to tease
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. scale — in music
  13. kid — child
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. charge — in control
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. charge — a price
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. row — a line

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