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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 116 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: bowl · land · leaves · scale · season · calf · charge · suit

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. season — in sport
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. land — ground
  5. land — a country
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. land — to come down
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. charge — a price
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. scale — size or range
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. scale — in music
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. calf — of the leg
  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