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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fine — high quality
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fine — all right
  6. cue — for pool
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. root — of a plant
  9. deal — to handle
  10. saw — the tool
  11. squash — the sport
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. charge — in control
  14. fork — in a road
  15. cue — a signal
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. squash — to crush
  18. root — the cause
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. root — of a word
  24. fork — a garden tool

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