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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: charge · scale · wind · safe · chair · roll · lean · pit

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. roll — a list
  3. charge — in control
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. scale — size or range
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lean — to bend
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. lean — thin
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wind — moving air
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pit — in a race
  17. roll — a cake
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pit — a hole
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. charge — a price
  24. safe — a strongbox

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