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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 120 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 · fork · fan · present · cap · chair · club · bark

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. club — for golf
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. present — a gift
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. club — a group
  15. cap — a hat
  16. club — for dancing
  17. cap — of ice
  18. chair — a leader
  19. charge — electricity
  20. present — there
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bark — to shout

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