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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cap — of ice
  4. charge — in control
  5. land — a country
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rock — music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. land — to come down
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fall — the season
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cap — a hat
  17. land — ground
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cap — a lid
  20. charge — a price
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rock — a stone
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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