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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. land — to come down
  3. charge — in control
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. charge — a price
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. stem — to come from
  10. can — a tin
  11. pop — soda
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. charge — electricity
  15. land — a country
  16. pop — music
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. game — a match
  21. fall — to drop
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pop — to visit
  24. land — ground

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