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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: band · fork · charge · court · stem · craft · cold · fine

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. band — a ring
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cold — not warm
  10. band — a music group
  11. fork — in a road
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. fine — all right
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. court — of a king
  20. cold — an illness
  21. charge — electricity
  22. stem — to come from
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fine — high quality

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