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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 120 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: bay · charge · capital · mouse · pitch · cell · safe · scale

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. capital — a city
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cell — a phone
  9. charge — in control
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. charge — electricity
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. capital — money
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. scale — in music
  20. charge — a price
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cell — in biology
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. mouse — for a computer

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