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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: race · scale · coach · charge · bound · temple · club · stock

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. bound — certain
  5. charge — a price
  6. stock — shares
  7. scale — size or range
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. club — for golf
  10. bound — tied together
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. bound — obliged
  16. charge — electricity
  17. race — a contest
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. charge — in control
  24. temple — a place of worship

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