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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rock — a stone
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rock — music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. charge — in control
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fine — all right
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. charge — a price
  19. pitch — completely
  20. lean — thin
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. squash — the sport
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fine — a penalty

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