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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 120 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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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: mate · fork · court · chip · bay · charge · sharp · stem

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fork — in a road
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. mate — a partner
  8. charge — in control
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. court — for sport
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. court — of law
  17. charge — a price
  18. court — of a king
  19. sharp — clever
  20. chip — for betting
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mate — to breed

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