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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.

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: charge · fork · stem · roll · fan · court · mark · vault

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. charge — in control
  11. stem — to come from
  12. court — of law
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. vault — a safe
  16. roll — a list
  17. court — of a king
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. court — for sport
  20. fork — in a road
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mark — to pay attention

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