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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. snap — to click
  4. firm — a company
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. firm — steady
  10. charge — in control
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fork — in a road
  15. charge — a price
  16. cap — a hat
  17. firm — decided
  18. cap — of ice
  19. court — of a king
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. charge — electricity
  22. court — of law
  23. key — in music
  24. court — for sport

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