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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: present · file · can · hand · row · court · object · fork

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. court — for sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. object — an aim
  13. fork — in a road
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. file — a line of people
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. court — of law
  20. row — to paddle
  21. hand — help
  22. can — a tin
  23. court — of a king
  24. can — to be able to

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