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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: charge · last · branch · spell · foot · fine · race · fork

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. charge — electricity
  3. spell — magic
  4. last — final
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. last — to go on
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. race — a contest
  13. branch — a division
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. foot — a measure
  18. spell — letters
  19. race — the arms race
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. spell — a short time
  23. race — humankind
  24. fine — all right

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