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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mark — a grade
  4. spring — a coil
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. charge — in control
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. perch — the fish
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. charge — a price
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. snap — to click
  15. spring — of water
  16. mark — a trace
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. spring — the season
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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