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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 · charge · cabinet · staff · court · rash · stock · mark

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. rash — a series
  6. mark — a grade
  7. court — of law
  8. staff — employees
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. mark — a trace
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. charge — in control
  15. staff — employees
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rash — hasty
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. stock — goods
  22. court — of a king
  23. stock — shares
  24. court — for sport

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