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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. charge — in control
  5. march — music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. march — the month
  11. charge — a price
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fork — in a road
  14. firm — steady
  15. spell — letters
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. firm — decided
  19. fine — all right
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. squash — to crush
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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