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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. march — the month
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fork — in a road
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. charge — a price
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rush — hurry
  18. key — the most important part
  19. craft — a skill
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. march — music
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. march — the month

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