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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: charge · roll · bank · mug · field · wave · fan · fork

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. charge — electricity
  3. field — a subject
  4. fork — in a road
  5. field — for sport
  6. roll — a list
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bank — for money
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. charge — in control
  14. field — farmland
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. charge — a price
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mug — a face
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bank — for money
  24. mug — to rob

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