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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 116 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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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: charge · kid · racket · capital · fork · safe · present · wake

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. present — a gift
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. charge — electricity
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. kid — child
  9. capital — a city
  10. charge — in control
  11. capital — money
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. charge — a price
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. present — there
  19. kid — to tease
  20. wake — a trail
  21. present — the time now
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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