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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: scale · mouse · ball · wound · stem · race · charge · can

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stem — to come from
  8. can — a tin
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ball — a great time
  11. scale — in music
  12. can — to be able to
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. can — a tin
  15. race — humankind
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. scale — size or range
  24. wound — an injury

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