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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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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: charge · vault · stock · fork · object · lean · chair · board

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. charge — electricity
  3. board — a committee
  4. stock — shares
  5. lean — to bend
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. charge — a price
  10. lean — thin
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. chair — a leader
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. object — to protest
  17. stock — goods
  18. vault — a safe
  19. board — to get on
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. fork — in a road
  22. charge — in control
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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