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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. charge — a price
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fork — in a road
  5. march — the month
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rule — a law
  11. march — the month
  12. charge — in control
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. face — to confront
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. march — music
  20. face — part of the head
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rule — government
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pitch — completely

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