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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. charge — in control
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. charge — a price
  6. present — a gift
  7. face — to confront
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. present — there
  11. face — part of the head
  12. present — the time now
  13. bank — of a river
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. craft — a skill
  19. game — wild animals
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bank — for money
  22. face — to point toward
  23. craft — boats
  24. fork — to eat with

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