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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: staff · charge · lean · arm · last · fork · pound · court

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. court — of law
  4. lean — to bend
  5. charge — in control
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. court — of a king
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. staff — a stick
  13. last — final
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. last — finally
  16. lean — thin
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. court — for sport
  21. staff — employees
  22. pound — a weight
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. last — to go on

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