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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. suit — to fit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. swing — to play on
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. staff — a stick
  8. chair — a leader
  9. swing — in golf
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ground — the earth
  13. swing — music
  14. suit — clothes
  15. staff — employees
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. suit — in cards
  21. charge — in control
  22. staff — employees
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fork — in a road

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