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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: pass · toast · sharp · foot · fork · mine · jam · charge

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. toast — bread
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. charge — in control
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. foot — a measure
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. charge — a price
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. charge — electricity

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