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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: lash · charge · last · season · dip · stock · fork · court

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. last — finally
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. last — to go on
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stock — shares
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. court — of a king
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stock — goods
  13. charge — in control
  14. season — of the year
  15. court — for sport
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. last — final
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. charge — a price
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. season — in sport
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  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