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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  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. jam — to spread on bread
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. file — a line of people
  5. capital — a city
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. date — the fruit
  8. charge — a price
  9. firm — steady
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. capital — money
  12. firm — a company
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fork — in a road
  15. charge — electricity
  16. file — a tool
  17. perch — the fish
  18. file — a document
  19. charge — in control
  20. firm — decided
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. date — on the calendar
  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