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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: fan · mug · row · scale · object · pound · charge · lean

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. charge — electricity
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. charge — in control
  7. mug — to rob
  8. object — an aim
  9. charge — a price
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mug — a cup
  12. object — to protest
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. mug — a face
  17. object — a thing
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. lean — thin
  20. scale — in music
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. fan — a supporter

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