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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 124 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. present — a gift
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fork — in a road
  12. net — after costs
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. net — in sport
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. suit — clothes
  19. present — there
  20. date — the fruit
  21. present — the time now
  22. net — for catching
  23. charge — in control
  24. arm — part of the body

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