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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 120 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 · chest · stick · track · pitcher · fork · wound · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chest — of your body
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. track — a path
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. can — a tin
  21. track — a song
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chest — a box

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