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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. charge — a price
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. field — for sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. field — farmland
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mug — a face
  15. charge — in control
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. craft — a skill
  21. field — a subject
  22. bass — low music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. craft — boats

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