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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: mouse · bear · scale · rush · charge · capital · fork · leaves

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. scale — in music
  10. capital — a city
  11. bear — the animal
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. charge — a price
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. capital — money
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bear — the animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. leaves — to go away

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