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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 116 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: scale · key · wind · charge · lie · sharp · track · object

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. charge — electricity
  3. scale — in music
  4. key — in music
  5. charge — a price
  6. scale — size or range
  7. wind — moving air
  8. track — a song
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. key — for a lock
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. charge — in control
  16. object — to protest
  17. wind — moving air
  18. track — a path
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. track — to keep track
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. scale — for weighing

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