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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rock · board · charge · foot · scale · file · wind · wound

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. wound — an injury
  4. board — a committee
  5. rock — music
  6. charge — a price
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. rock — a stone
  12. file — a tool
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. board — to get on
  18. charge — in control
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wound — an injury
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wind — moving air

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