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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: staff · pitcher · pop · march · rock · charge · scale · kick

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. charge — a price
  5. pop — music
  6. march — the month
  7. charge — in control
  8. scale — size or range
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. staff — employees
  12. kick — in football
  13. march — music
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. charge — electricity
  18. staff — a stick
  19. march — the month
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. scale — in music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pop — to visit
  24. kick — a thrill

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