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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · mate · band · charge · season · scale · rock · root

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. scale — size or range
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. season — of the year
  5. scale — in music
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. charge — a price
  11. band — a ring
  12. root — of a word
  13. mate — to breed
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. season — in sport
  17. root — of a plant
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. root — the cause
  20. mate — a friend
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. band — a music group
  23. mate — a partner
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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