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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · net · spring · key · content · charge · toast · stick

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. toast — bread
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. key — in music
  8. charge — a price
  9. net — in sport
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. key — the most important part
  12. branch — a division
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. key — for a lock
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. content — happy
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. net — for catching
  21. content — the amount
  22. net — after costs
  23. charge — electricity
  24. spring — of water

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