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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 120 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wake — a trail
  4. charge — electricity
  5. capital — a city
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. capital — money
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. kid — child
  21. charge — a price
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. charge — in control

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