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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: sharp · swing · spell · cabinet · root · charge · scale · kick

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. scale — in music
  4. spell — a short time
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. root — of a word
  8. spell — magic
  9. kick — in football
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. swing — music
  13. charge — a price
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. swing — in golf
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. charge — in control
  21. scale — size or range
  22. charge — electricity
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. swing — to play on

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