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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stem — to come from
  4. charge — a price
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. court — of a king
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. rock — to move gently

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