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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bat — the animal
  3. charge — in control
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. charge — electricity
  6. clip — for paper
  7. charge — a price
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fork — in a road
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mug — a cup
  17. clip — a video
  18. mug — a face
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. pass — to spend time

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