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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: cap · charge · dip · sharp · club · stand · scale · present

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. cap — a hat
  3. scale — in music
  4. charge — a price
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. club — for golf
  7. present — there
  8. sharp — clever
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. present — a gift
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. club — a group
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. present — the time now
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. club — for dancing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stand — to bear
  24. scale — for weighing

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