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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: row · charge · last · pass · hand · fork · bulb · date

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. last — final
  4. charge — in control
  5. hand — help
  6. charge — a price
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. last — to go on
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. row — a line
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bulb — for light
  17. last — finally
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pass — a permit
  21. charge — electricity
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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