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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 116 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. charge — electricity
  5. current — of water
  6. sharp — clever
  7. current — electric
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. squash — the sport
  10. current — happening now
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fork — in a road
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. charge — a price
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. stand — to bear
  23. charge — in control
  24. sharp — with an edge

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