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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · charge · squash · degree · fork · staff · mug · firm

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. fork — in a road
  3. firm — decided
  4. game — wild animals
  5. firm — a company
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. staff — employees
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mug — a cup
  11. firm — steady
  12. mug — a face
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. charge — electricity
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — temperature
  18. charge — in control
  19. staff — a stick
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. staff — employees
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mug — to rob
  24. charge — a price

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