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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cue — a hint
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. craft — a skill
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. ground — the earth
  17. stem — to come from
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. foot — a measure
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fork — in a road
  22. ground — a position
  23. charge — in control
  24. cue — for pool

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