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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. key — in music
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. date — the fruit
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. key — for a lock
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cap — a lid
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cap — of ice
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stand — to bear
  21. land — a country
  22. scale — size or range
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. charge — a price

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