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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. field — farmland
  4. charge — a price
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rule — government
  8. field — a subject
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fork — in a road
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lean — to bend
  16. snap — to click
  17. rule — a law
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. field — for sport
  23. lean — thin
  24. hand — help

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