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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pop — soda
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pop — music
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pop — to visit
  10. last — to go on
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. chair — a leader
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. last — finally
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rush — hurry
  19. swing — music
  20. charge — electricity
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. deal — to handle
  23. last — final
  24. charge — in control

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