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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: branch · fork · charge · chip · content · spring · rush · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. spring — of water
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. content — the amount
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. charge — electricity
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rush — hurry
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fork — in a road
  14. spring — the season
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. spring — a coil
  18. charge — in control
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stock — goods
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stock — shares
  23. charge — a price
  24. content — happy

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