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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: race · can · chair · roll · scale · wave · tear · charge

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. scale — size or range
  4. roll — a list
  5. chair — a leader
  6. roll — a cake
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. charge — a price
  9. race — a contest
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. can — a tin
  12. tear — to rip
  13. can — a tin
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. race — the arms race
  18. charge — electricity
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. race — humankind
  22. can — to be able to
  23. charge — in control
  24. tear — from crying

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