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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. charge — in control
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. charge — electricity
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bat — the animal
  9. ground — crushed
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. ground — the earth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ground — a position
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. charge — a price

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