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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: scale · charge · field · cap · bear · coach · vault · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. field — farmland
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. scale — in music
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. field — a subject
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. sharp — clever
  17. vault — a safe
  18. charge — in control
  19. cap — a lid
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. field — for sport

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