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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fork — in a road
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lean — thin
  8. field — a subject
  9. mine — for digging
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. lean — to bend
  15. field — farmland
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. spell — letters
  19. field — for sport
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. spell — magic
  22. chip — to eat
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. charge — a price

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