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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. charge — in control
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. charge — a price
  7. snap — to click
  8. degree — from a university
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. charge — electricity
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. dip — to sink
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. fork — in a road
  24. stock — a soup base

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