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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 116 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: charge · cue · degree · track · snap · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. snap — to click
  3. cue — for pool
  4. scale — in music
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. charge — a price
  8. track — a path
  9. degree — an amount
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. track — a song
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cue — a hint
  14. scale — size or range
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. charge — in control
  17. cue — a signal
  18. track — to keep track

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