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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fork — in a road
  3. scale — in music
  4. charge — in control
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. scale — size or range
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rash — a series
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. charge — a price
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kid — to tease
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. charge — electricity
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. kid — child
  22. capital — money
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. capital — a city

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