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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stock — shares
  3. charge — in control
  4. stock — goods
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. band — a music group
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. row — a line
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. chip — for betting
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. row — to paddle
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. charge — a price
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. band — a ring

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