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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: race · stand · can · scale · charge · track · pound · club

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stand — to bear
  4. track — a path
  5. club — for golf
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. charge — in control
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. can — a tin
  13. track — a song
  14. race — a contest
  15. pound — a weight
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. can — a tin
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. race — humankind
  21. scale — size or range
  22. charge — a price
  23. race — the arms race
  24. scale — in music

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