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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.

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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: stand · lean · scale · track · march · charge · bear · band

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. charge — electricity
  3. scale — in music
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. scale — size or range
  7. band — a ring
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. stand — to bear
  11. lean — to bend
  12. charge — in control
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bear — the animal
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. march — music
  18. charge — a price
  19. band — a music group
  20. lean — thin
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. march — the month

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