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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: saw · court · fork · cell · charge · bulb · land · stem

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bulb — for light
  4. court — of a king
  5. land — a country
  6. charge — a price
  7. land — to come down
  8. fork — in a road
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — in control
  17. cell — in biology
  18. land — ground
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. court — for sport
  21. cell — a phone
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. court — of law

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