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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. object — an aim
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fork — in a road
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. prune — to trim
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. last — finally
  15. prune — to trim
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. last — to go on
  18. object — to protest
  19. charge — in control
  20. saw — the tool
  21. last — final
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. object — a thing

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