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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. spring — the season
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. spring — of water
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. charge — a price
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. spring — a coil
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. charge — in control
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wax — to grow
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fork — in a road
  24. foot — the bottom

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