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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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. scale — in music
  2. track — a song
  3. charge — electricity
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. scale — size or range
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. chest — a box
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. rock — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rock — a stone
  21. chest — of your body
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  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