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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 · cold · track · charge · fine · rush · dip · key

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. key — the most important part
  3. track — to keep track
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fine — all right
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. track — a path
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cold — an illness
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rush — hurry
  14. charge — in control
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. key — for a lock
  17. scale — in music
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. track — a song
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. charge — a price
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. key — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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