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

Word bank: charge · fork · mark · deal · dip · swing · last · mate

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mate — a friend
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mate — to breed
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. charge — in control
  11. dip — to sink
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. last — finally
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. last — to go on
  19. mate — a partner
  20. swing — to play on
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. swing — music
  23. last — final
  24. mark — a grade

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