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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: foot · mate · fork · cap · stock · spring · drill · charge

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. spring — a coil
  3. cap — a lid
  4. foot — a measure
  5. spring — the season
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stock — shares
  8. charge — a price
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mate — a friend
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stock — goods
  14. charge — in control
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. spring — of water
  19. mate — to breed
  20. drill — the tool
  21. cap — of ice
  22. fork — in a road
  23. drill — army training
  24. cap — a hat

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