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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
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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: sharp · fan · craft · leaves · charge · bank · racket · court

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. sharp — clever
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. court — for sport
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. court — of a king
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bank — of a river
  10. court — of law
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. charge — in control
  13. bank — for money
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. charge — a price
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. craft — a skill
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. craft — boats
  23. bank — for money
  24. fan — to cool the air

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