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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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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: court · fine · march · cell · stem · fork · charge · bore

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. march — the month
  4. fine — high quality
  5. court — for sport
  6. march — the month
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. march — music
  12. fine — all right
  13. charge — in control
  14. stem — to come from
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cell — in biology
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. court — of a king
  24. stem — of a plant

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