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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · rest · capital · leaves · date · fine · mine · fork

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fork — in a road
  3. rest — a break
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. date — the fruit
  13. charge — a price
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. charge — in control
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rest — what's left
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. capital — money
  24. fork — to eat with

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