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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: season · sharp · face · chair · net · charge · staff · fork

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. sharp — clever
  4. face — part of the head
  5. charge — electricity
  6. season — of the year
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. charge — a price
  9. net — for catching
  10. fork — in a road
  11. season — in sport
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. staff — employees
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. face — to confront
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. face — to point toward
  19. chair — a leader
  20. net — after costs
  21. charge — in control
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. staff — employees
  24. net — in sport

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