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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · kick · fork · ruler · press · arm · pop · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. charge — electricity
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fine — high quality
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. charge — a price
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pop — soda
  13. charge — in control
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fork — in a road
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pop — to visit
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. press — to push
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pop — music

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