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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: fork · date · charge · court · mug · bass · mark · rest

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bass — low music
  4. court — for sport
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mark — a grade
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mug — a cup
  11. court — of law
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bass — the fish
  15. charge — a price
  16. court — of a king
  17. charge — in control
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mug — a face
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fork — in a road

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