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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: charge · scale · kid · cue · jam · bark · key · chair

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. charge — a price
  3. bark — to shout
  4. scale — size or range
  5. kid — child
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cue — a hint
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. charge — in control
  15. chair — a leader
  16. key — the most important part
  17. scale — in music
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cue — for pool
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bark — of a tree

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