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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: nail · rock · season · charge · toast · scale · bark · mouse

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. charge — a price
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. season — in sport
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. scale — in music
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. season — of the year
  15. bark — to shout
  16. charge — in control
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. scale — size or range
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rock — music
  24. scale — for weighing

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