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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. cue — a signal
  4. squash — to crush
  5. court — for sport
  6. present — the time now
  7. squash — the sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. cue — for pool
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. last — to go on
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. last — final
  14. tear — to rip
  15. charge — in control
  16. tear — from crying
  17. court — of law
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. last — finally
  21. present — there
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cue — a hint
  24. fork — in a road

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