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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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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: band · present · cue · cold · perch · stand · scale · charge

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. charge — in control
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. band — a ring
  5. charge — a price
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cue — for pool
  8. scale — in music
  9. cold — not warm
  10. perch — the fish
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. present — a gift
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cue — a signal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cold — an illness
  18. present — the time now
  19. scale — size or range
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cue — a hint
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. present — there
  24. band — a music group

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