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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
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: fork · charge · content · last · bear · leaves · can · jam

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. last — to go on
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. charge — a price
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. content — happy
  7. charge — in control
  8. last — final
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. fork — in a road
  11. can — a tin
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. last — finally
  16. bear — the animal
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bear — the animal
  20. content — the amount
  21. can — to be able to
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. leaves — of a tree

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