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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: land · cap · court · club · scale · pound · temple · charge

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. club — for dancing
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. club — a group
  5. cap — a lid
  6. scale — in music
  7. court — of a king
  8. club — for golf
  9. land — to come down
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. charge — a price
  14. pound — a weight
  15. cap — of ice
  16. charge — in control
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. court — of law
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. scale — size or range
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cap — a hat
  24. court — for sport

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