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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. game — wild animals
  3. content — the amount
  4. charge — a price
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. game — a match
  8. march — music
  9. content — happy
  10. suit — to fit
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. suit — clothes
  13. charge — in control
  14. current — electric
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mug — a cup
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mug — to rob
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mug — a face
  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