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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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. charge — in control
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pit — in a race
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. charge — a price
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cap — a lid
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mine — for digging
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pit — a hole

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