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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: rock · fork · bass · toast · perch · chip · staff · charge

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rock — music
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — bread
  7. fork — in a road
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rock — a stone
  10. staff — employees
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bass — low music
  14. staff — employees
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. charge — in control
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. chip — for betting
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. perch — the fish
  24. charge — a price

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