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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. charge — a price
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. charge — electricity
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. can — a tin
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. squash — to crush
  17. charge — in control
  18. leaves — lets stay

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