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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: charge · lean · roll · rock · content · mark · spring · ground

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lean — thin
  4. roll — a list
  5. ground — a position
  6. content — the amount
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. charge — electricity
  11. roll — a cake
  12. lean — to bend
  13. spring — a coil
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. charge — a price
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. spring — of water
  18. charge — in control
  19. mark — a grade
  20. ground — crushed
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. spring — the season
  23. content — happy
  24. roll — on a roll

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