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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: court · deal · charge · suit · season · fork · bore · mate

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. deal — to handle
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. court — of a king
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. suit — to fit
  11. charge — in control
  12. mate — a partner
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fork — in a road
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bore — to tire
  19. suit — in cards
  20. mate — a friend
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. charge — a price
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bore — to drill

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