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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: prune · fork · kick · roll · spell · degree · fan · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spell — letters
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. roll — a list
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a cake
  11. charge — electricity
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fork — in a road
  15. degree — an amount
  16. spell — a short time
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. prune — to trim
  19. degree — from a university
  20. spell — magic
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. degree — temperature

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