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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 120 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
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: fine · charge · fall · content · band · scale · bound · fork

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. charge — a price
  3. scale — size or range
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bound — certain
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fall — to drop
  9. content — happy
  10. scale — in music
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fine — high quality
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. fall — the season
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. charge — in control
  19. content — the amount
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bound — obliged
  22. charge — electricity
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fine — all right

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