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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: content · roll · spell · ground · key · fork · charge · track

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. roll — a cake
  3. fork — in a road
  4. spell — magic
  5. roll — a list
  6. key — in music
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. charge — in control
  9. track — a path
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. ground — the earth
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. key — for a lock
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. spell — letters
  23. key — the most important part
  24. spell — a short time

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