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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.

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468
Word bank
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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. land — a country
  4. charge — electricity
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. land — to come down
  8. fork — in a road
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. land — ground
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chair — a leader
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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