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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: bank · scale · fork · swing · snap · spell · mine · charge

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bank — for money
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. swing — music
  7. snap — to click
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bank — of a river
  11. swing — in golf
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. spell — magic
  14. swing — to play on
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fork — in a road
  17. spell — letters
  18. mine — for digging
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bank — for money
  21. spell — a short time
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mine — an explosive

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