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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. march — music
  5. foot — a measure
  6. court — of a king
  7. craft — a skill
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. march — the month
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. march — the month
  13. row — a line
  14. charge — in control
  15. court — of law
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. court — for sport
  18. fork — in a road
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. row — to paddle
  21. charge — electricity
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. craft — boats

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