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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. wake — a trail
  3. lean — thin
  4. capital — money
  5. fork — in a road
  6. key — in music
  7. firm — steady
  8. spring — the season
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. capital — a city
  15. lean — to bend
  16. charge — electricity
  17. firm — a company
  18. charge — in control
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. firm — decided
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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