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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · tube · fine · mate · fork · band · charge · court

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mate — a partner
  5. court — for sport
  6. rash — a series
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. charge — a price
  12. tube — a container
  13. court — of a king
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. band — a ring
  17. court — of law
  18. tube — the underground
  19. charge — in control
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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