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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. season — in sport
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. charge — a price
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. charge — in control
  7. chair — a leader
  8. root — of a word
  9. pop — soda
  10. cap — a hat
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. charge — electricity
  13. root — the cause
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. cap — a lid
  18. season — of the year
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. scale — in music
  22. root — of a plant
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cap — of ice

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