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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. race — humankind
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. spell — magic
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. fork — in a road
  7. squash — the sport
  8. race — a contest
  9. spell — a short time
  10. content — the amount
  11. stand — to bear
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. spell — letters
  15. charge — electricity
  16. race — the arms race
  17. firm — steady
  18. charge — in control
  19. squash — to crush
  20. firm — a company
  21. content — happy
  22. firm — decided
  23. stand — for spectators
  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