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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: scale · track · field · pop · present · charge · capital · bay

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. charge — electricity
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. charge — in control
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. scale — in music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. present — a gift
  12. capital — money
  13. scale — size or range
  14. field — for sport
  15. capital — a city
  16. track — a path
  17. pop — soda
  18. track — a song
  19. charge — a price
  20. field — a subject
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. field — farmland
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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