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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spring · fine · chair · ruler · spell · fork · roll · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. spell — magic
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. charge — in control
  6. fine — all right
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. roll — a list
  10. charge — electricity
  11. fine — high quality
  12. chair — a leader
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. spring — a coil
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. spell — letters
  23. fork — in a road
  24. ruler — a monarch

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