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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: bay · row · charge · safe · season · clip · scale · mate

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mate — a partner
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. clip — for paper
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. mate — to breed
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. mate — a friend
  13. row — to paddle
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. clip — a video
  16. row — a line
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. season — of the year
  23. scale — size or range
  24. season — in sport

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