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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: charge · arm · can · hand · root · clip · fork · scale

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. scale — size or range
  4. can — a tin
  5. clip — a video
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. clip — for paper
  9. fork — in a road
  10. charge — electricity
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. root — the cause
  14. charge — in control
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. clip — to cut
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. hand — in cards
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. fork — to eat with

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