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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. deal — to handle
  5. drill — the tool
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. sharp — clever
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. charge — electricity
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. drill — army training
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. charge — in control
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. drill — a practice
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. fork — in a road

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