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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: charge · stick · pop · track · capital · sharp · season · scale

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. season — of the year
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. track — to keep track
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. season — in sport
  8. scale — in music
  9. pop — soda
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. sharp — clever
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. capital — money
  15. track — a path
  16. charge — a price
  17. pop — music
  18. charge — electricity
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. track — a song
  21. scale — size or range
  22. capital — a city
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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