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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: roll · charge · fork · mouse · race · tear

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. race — a contest
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. charge — a price
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. charge — in control
  8. race — humankind
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. fork — in a road
  13. roll — a list
  14. tear — from crying
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. charge — electricity
  18. race — the arms race

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