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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: fork · content · scale · spring · pop · charge · roll · staff

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pop — music
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. spring — of water
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. content — the amount
  9. spring — the season
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pop — to visit
  12. content — happy
  13. scale — in music
  14. staff — a stick
  15. spring — a coil
  16. staff — employees
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. staff — employees
  19. charge — a price
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — a list
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pop — soda
  24. fork — a garden tool

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