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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fine — all right
  3. mug — a face
  4. charge — a price
  5. race — humankind
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. file — a document
  8. prune — to trim
  9. race — the arms race
  10. march — the month
  11. race — a contest
  12. charge — electricity
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mug — to rob
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. charge — in control
  24. mug — a cup

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