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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: scale · can · stand · temple · degree · charge · track · cold

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. track — a song
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. scale — in music
  10. stand — to bear
  11. can — to be able to
  12. charge — in control
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. charge — a price
  15. degree — from a university
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cold — an illness
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. scale — size or range
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. degree — temperature
  22. can — a tin
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cold — not warm

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