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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 116 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
468
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: game · charge · kick · chair · fork · straw · bound · season

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. game — wild animals
  5. season — in sport
  6. game — a match
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fork — in a road
  9. season — of the year
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. charge — a price
  13. bound — certain
  14. chair — a leader
  15. kick — in football
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bound — obliged
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bound — tied together
  24. chair — a professorship

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