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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.

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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 · sharp · jam · last · charge · branch · staff · spell

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. staff — employees
  5. last — finally
  6. branch — a division
  7. charge — in control
  8. scale — size or range
  9. spell — a short time
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. scale — in music
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. last — to go on
  17. charge — a price
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. last — final
  22. sharp — clever
  23. charge — electricity
  24. jam — a tight spot

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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