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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cue — a hint
  4. charge — in control
  5. land — ground
  6. stock — goods
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stock — shares
  9. drill — a practice
  10. court — of a king
  11. charge — a price
  12. fork — in a road
  13. land — a country
  14. cue — a signal
  15. drill — army training
  16. court — for sport
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pop — soda
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. court — of law
  21. land — to come down
  22. pop — music
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fork — a garden tool

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