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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: ground · saw · mine · squash · track · bank · fork · charge

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bank — for money
  3. charge — a price
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. ground — crushed
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. track — a path
  11. bank — of a river
  12. charge — in control
  13. ground — a position
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. ground — the earth
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bank — for money
  22. track — a song
  23. saw — the tool
  24. track — to keep track

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