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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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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: track · mug · roll · rush · charge · scale · chest · kick

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. scale — in music
  3. roll — a cake
  4. mug — a cup
  5. charge — electricity
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mug — a face
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. track — a song
  14. chest — of your body
  15. scale — size or range
  16. chest — a box
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. chest — of your body
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. roll — a list

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