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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: stand · content · straw · cue · last · sharp · charge · scale

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. charge — electricity
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cue — a hint
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. charge — in control
  14. scale — in music
  15. last — finally
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cue — for pool
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stand — to bear
  21. last — final
  22. charge — a price
  23. content — happy
  24. stand — on your feet

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