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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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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. track — a song
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — an illness
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mug — a face
  9. chip — to eat
  10. charge — electricity
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mug — a cup
  13. track — a path
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. chip — for betting
  16. charge — a price
  17. pit — in a race
  18. track — to keep track
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. mug — to rob
  23. pit — a hole
  24. charge — in control

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