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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: fork · temple · charge · present · scale · spring · pop · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pop — soda
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. pop — to visit
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. fork — in a road
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. scale — in music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. spring — of water
  17. present — a gift
  18. spring — a coil
  19. charge — in control
  20. spring — the season
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pop — music

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