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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: jam · chest · rock · content · scale · charge · pitch · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. scale — in music
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. charge — a price
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pitch — completely
  15. content — the amount
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rock — a stone
  19. charge — in control
  20. scale — size or range
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. content — happy
  24. rock — music

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