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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. squash — to crush
  3. object — a thing
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rule — government
  6. charge — in control
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rule — a law
  12. charge — a price
  13. fine — high quality
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. object — an aim
  17. fine — all right
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. field — a subject
  20. charge — electricity
  21. field — for sport
  22. object — to protest
  23. field — farmland
  24. fine — a penalty

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