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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. squash — to crush
  3. charge — in control
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pop — to visit
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pop — soda
  12. spring — of water
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. charge — a price
  20. spring — the season
  21. squash — the sport
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pop — music

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