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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: tube · fork · court · straw · charge · mouse · bowl · stem

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. court — for sport
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. charge — electricity
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. charge — in control
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. stem — to come from
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. charge — a price
  16. court — of law
  17. fork — in a road
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. court — of a king
  20. tube — a container
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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