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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. date — the fruit
  4. pit — in a race
  5. shower — to wash
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. rock — a stone
  9. shower — rain
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rock — music
  14. capital — money
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. fork — in a road
  18. charge — a price
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. capital — a city
  24. season — in sport

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