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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 · patient · ball

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

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. charge — in control
  3. stand — to bear
  4. file — a tool
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. ball — a dance
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. ball — a great time
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fork — in a road
  11. cell — in biology
  12. row — to paddle
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. file — a document
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. charge — a price
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. file — a line of people
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. cell — a phone
  24. row — a line

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