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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. charge — a price
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pound — a weight
  9. charge — electricity
  10. staff — employees
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. charge — in control
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. staff — employees
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mine — for digging

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