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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: mine · temple · chair · stick · cue · season · charge · fork

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fork — in a road
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. chair — a leader
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. season — in sport
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. season — of the year
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. charge — a price
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cue — for pool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. temple — a place of worship

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