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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rush — hurry
  17. charge — a price
  18. march — the month
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rush — a thrill

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