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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: charge · ruler · band · coach · chair · drill · arm · scale

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. band — a ring
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. band — a music group
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. chair — a leader
  12. charge — electricity
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. drill — the tool
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. charge — in control
  22. scale — in music
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. charge — a price

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