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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 120 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. charge — in control
  11. capital — a city
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. scale — in music
  14. stock — goods
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. charge — a price
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. charge — electricity
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bat — the animal
  23. capital — money
  24. scale — for weighing

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