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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: cell · jam · chest · rock · march · charge · scale · firm

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. march — the month
  3. firm — steady
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cell — in biology
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. scale — in music
  9. charge — in control
  10. chest — of your body
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — decided
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. march — music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. march — the month
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rock — music
  22. charge — a price
  23. chest — a box
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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