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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 · spell · charge · squash · hand · staff · track · stand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. charge — electricity
  4. hand — help
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. charge — a price
  8. fork — in a road
  9. spell — letters
  10. stand — to bear
  11. track — to keep track
  12. spell — magic
  13. squash — to crush
  14. track — a song
  15. staff — employees
  16. charge — in control
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. squash — the sport
  20. staff — employees
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. staff — a stick
  23. track — a path
  24. hand — in cards

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