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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: vault · charge · cue · tube · fork · press · fine · sharp

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. charge — electricity
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. charge — a price
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. press — to push
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. tube — a container
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. vault — a safe
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cue — for pool
  17. fine — all right
  18. cue — a hint
  19. charge — in control
  20. sharp — clever
  21. cue — a signal
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. tube — the underground

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