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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pound · jam · scale · march · chest · date · coach

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. date — the fruit
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. scale — size or range
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. charge — a price
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. march — the month
  13. chest — a box
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. scale — in music
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pound — a weight
  24. jam — in traffic

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