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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 · track · vault · pitcher · content · jam · fork · rash

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. charge — electricity
  3. fork — in a road
  4. charge — in control
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. charge — a price
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. content — the amount
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. content — happy
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. track — a song
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rash — hasty
  24. content — videos and posts

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