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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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 — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cue — a hint
  4. charge — electricity
  5. last — finally
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bat — the animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. cue — for pool
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. charge — in control
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. rock — a stone
  17. roll — a list
  18. rock — music
  19. charge — a price
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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