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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: charge · kid · tube · rush · drill · bat · fork · racket

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rush — hurry
  5. drill — a practice
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. charge — in control
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. charge — electricity
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bat — the animal
  19. drill — army training
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. tube — a container
  23. drill — the tool
  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