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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 116 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 · last · mug · field · spell · charge · pop · stem

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. field — a subject
  5. mug — a cup
  6. field — for sport
  7. last — final
  8. stem — to come from
  9. spell — letters
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. mug — a face
  13. spell — magic
  14. charge — electricity
  15. last — finally
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. spell — a short time
  18. last — to go on
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mug — to rob
  21. charge — a price
  22. pop — soda
  23. charge — in control
  24. field — farmland

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