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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  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. wave — of the sea
  2. sharp — clever
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. charge — a price
  7. chair — a leader
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. last — finally
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. last — final
  20. charge — electricity
  21. last — to go on
  22. mark — a grade
  23. jam — in traffic
  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