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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.

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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: foot · leaves · sharp · pitcher · band · ground · charge · scale

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. scale — in music
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ground — the earth
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. ground — a position
  9. scale — size or range
  10. charge — electricity
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. sharp — clever
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. ground — crushed
  23. charge — a price
  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