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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
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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: fall · scale · charge · press · game · coach · fork · cap

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. charge — a price
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. charge — in control
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. scale — in music
  10. cap — of ice
  11. game — a match
  12. press — newspapers
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. press — to push
  15. cap — a lid
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. press — a publisher
  19. game — wild animals
  20. scale — size or range
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fall — the season
  23. cap — a hat
  24. charge — electricity

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