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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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. capital — a big letter
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. charge — a price
  6. content — the amount
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ball — a dance
  10. capital — money
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. content — happy
  16. charge — electricity
  17. ball — a great time
  18. capital — a city
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. charge — in control

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