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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 · press · charge · wake · scale · last · wind · craft

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. scale — size or range
  3. craft — boats
  4. track — a path
  5. last — finally
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wind — moving air
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. press — a publisher
  14. last — to go on
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. charge — a price
  17. press — to push
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. craft — a skill
  21. last — final
  22. scale — in music
  23. charge — electricity
  24. press — newspapers

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