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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
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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: spell · cell · mark · charge · chip · march · bark · fork

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. spell — a short time
  3. fork — in a road
  4. spell — magic
  5. cell — in biology
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. charge — in control
  14. chip — for betting
  15. march — the month
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. spell — letters
  21. bark — to shout
  22. march — the month
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. march — music

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