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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: charge · scale · roll · land · toast · bark · present · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. toast — bread
  3. scale — size or range
  4. present — the time now
  5. bark — to shout
  6. roll — a list
  7. charge — in control
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. roll — a cake
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. land — ground
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. present — there
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. present — a gift
  24. roll — on a roll

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