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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fork — in a road
  3. charge — a price
  4. land — to come down
  5. prune — to trim
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. march — the month
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. game — wild animals
  15. suit — clothes
  16. prune — to trim
  17. march — music
  18. charge — in control
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. march — the month
  23. suit — to fit
  24. craft — a skill

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