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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. scale — in music
  3. charge — in control
  4. track — to keep track
  5. content — happy
  6. spell — a short time
  7. track — a song
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. track — a path
  10. content — the amount
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. spell — letters
  15. prune — to trim
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. scale — size or range
  20. prune — to trim
  21. perch — the fish
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. spell — magic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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