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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. ground — a position
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. court — of law
  9. cold — not warm
  10. ground — the earth
  11. court — of a king
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. charge — a price
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fork — in a road
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cold — an illness
  21. ground — crushed
  22. charge — electricity
  23. court — for sport
  24. charge — in control

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