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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: band · fork · rest · court · fan · key · charge · mine

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. court — of a king
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fork — in a road
  6. court — for sport
  7. charge — a price
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. charge — electricity
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. key — in music
  13. band — a music group
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. charge — in control
  17. rest — what's left
  18. band — a ring
  19. court — of law
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rest — a break
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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