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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: charge · cabinet · court · perch · mine · root · scale · track

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. court — of law
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. track — to keep track
  5. root — the cause
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. scale — size or range
  9. charge — a price
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mine — for digging
  14. perch — the fish
  15. track — a song
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. root — of a plant
  19. court — for sport
  20. track — a path
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. court — of a king
  23. scale — in music
  24. root — of a word

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