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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. scale — size or range
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. charge — in control
  11. board — a committee
  12. fine — all right
  13. board — to get on
  14. wind — moving air
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. scale — in music
  18. wind — moving air
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fine — high quality
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. can — a tin
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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