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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. club — for golf
  10. mate — a friend
  11. prune — to trim
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. club — a group
  15. charge — in control
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. prune — to trim
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. prune — the fruit

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