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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. ground — crushed
  3. charge — in control
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. ground — a position
  6. mark — a grade
  7. sharp — clever
  8. land — a country
  9. rest — what's left
  10. charge — a price
  11. land — to come down
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mark — a trace
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rest — a break
  22. fork — in a road
  23. land — ground
  24. safe — a strongbox

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