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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: sharp · scale · mouse · charge · trunk · mine · rock · mate

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mate — to breed
  4. scale — in music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rock — music
  10. mine — for digging
  11. charge — electricity
  12. scale — size or range
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rock — a stone
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. charge — a price
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. sharp — clever
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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