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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. suit — to fit
  5. ground — the earth
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. track — a path
  8. present — a gift
  9. fork — in a road
  10. kid — to tease
  11. suit — in cards
  12. ground — a position
  13. present — there
  14. march — the month
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. ground — crushed
  17. charge — in control
  18. suit — clothes
  19. march — the month
  20. kid — child
  21. present — the time now
  22. track — a song
  23. march — music
  24. track — to keep track

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