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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. charge — a price
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. charge — in control
  10. face — to confront
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mate — to breed
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bark — to shout
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mate — a partner
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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