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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. firm — decided
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. firm — a company
  9. staff — employees
  10. charge — a price
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fork — in a road
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. firm — steady
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. hand — help
  20. board — a committee
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. board — to get on
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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