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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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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: season · kick · tear · cell · degree · charge · vault · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. season — of the year
  6. charge — in control
  7. cell — in biology
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. charge — a price
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. charge — electricity
  12. tear — from crying
  13. season — in sport
  14. degree — an amount
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. degree — from a university
  17. vault — a safe
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cell — a phone
  21. tear — to rip
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. degree — temperature

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