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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: scale · season · charge · degree · jam · spell · safe · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. charge — electricity
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. charge — a price
  7. scale — size or range
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. scale — in music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. charge — in control
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. spell — magic
  17. degree — from a university
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stock — shares
  20. spell — letters
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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