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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: face · pitcher · scale · charge · cell · ground · mug · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. charge — electricity
  3. scale — in music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cell — a phone
  6. face — to confront
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mug — a face
  9. charge — in control
  10. face — part of the head
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. sharp — clever
  14. ground — a position
  15. face — to point toward
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a cup
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. charge — a price
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. sharp — exactly

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