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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pop — music
  3. spell — letters
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. net — for catching
  9. staff — a stick
  10. charge — in control
  11. staff — employees
  12. charge — a price
  13. net — after costs
  14. spell — magic
  15. fork — in a road
  16. net — in sport
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. charge — electricity
  23. staff — employees
  24. spell — a short time

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