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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · file · pitcher · foot · fork · charge · swing · tear

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. charge — in control
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. charge — electricity
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. foot — a measure
  14. fork — in a road
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. swing — music
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. swing — to play on
  20. tear — from crying
  21. charge — a price
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. foot — the bottom

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