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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. fork — in a road
  5. charge — a price
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. net — for catching
  9. charge — in control
  10. chip — for betting
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. craft — boats
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. net — in sport
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wake — a trail

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