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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: fork · row · cell · stand · charge · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. charge — electricity
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cell — a phone
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. charge — in control
  13. stand — to bear
  14. charge — a price
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. file — a tool
  17. cell — in biology
  18. row — to paddle

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