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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rule — government
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. file — a document
  6. squash — to crush
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. charge — in control
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fork — in a road
  16. squash — the sport
  17. file — a line of people
  18. season — in sport
  19. file — a tool
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rule — a law
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. season — of the year

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