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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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. chip — for betting
  4. charge — a price
  5. drill — the tool
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bass — the fish
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. sharp — clever
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. chip — to eat
  14. drill — a practice
  15. charge — in control
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bass — low music
  22. drill — army training
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. plane — a tool

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