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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. firm — steady
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. saw — the tool
  6. firm — a company
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. charge — a price
  9. bass — the fish
  10. charge — in control
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. chip — to eat
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mug — a cup
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mug — a face
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bass — low music
  21. mug — to rob
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. firm — decided

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