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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. fork — in a road
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. chair — a leader
  7. ball — a great time
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. ball — a dance
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stock — goods
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. charge — a price
  21. pitch — completely
  22. track — a song
  23. charge — in control
  24. stock — shares

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