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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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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: coach · saw · roll · wax · mate · key · charge · scale

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. roll — a list
  3. scale — in music
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. charge — a price
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. key — in music
  12. roll — a cake
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mate — to breed
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — electricity
  17. key — the most important part
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mate — a partner
  20. key — for a lock
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wax — to grow
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. roll — on a roll

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