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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: chest · scale · root · toast · roll · charge · row · track

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. charge — in control
  4. track — a path
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. roll — a cake
  7. root — of a word
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. roll — a list
  11. toast — bread
  12. row — a line
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. track — to keep track
  15. scale — in music
  16. root — the cause
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. track — a song
  21. chest — of your body
  22. root — of a plant
  23. row — to paddle
  24. scale — size or range

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