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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. charge — in control
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. file — a line of people
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. file — a tool
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. fine — all right
  9. charge — electricity
  10. row — a line
  11. fine — high quality
  12. row — to paddle
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mine — for digging
  15. charge — a price
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fork — in a road
  22. file — a document
  23. ground — the earth
  24. fine — a penalty

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