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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.

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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 · wake · bat · row · rush · charge · net · track

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rush — hurry
  5. charge — in control
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. net — after costs
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. net — for catching
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. track — to keep track
  18. charge — a price
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. net — in sport

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