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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: mug · fork · rush · firm · track · kick · net · charge

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. track — a path
  6. mug — to rob
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. net — for catching
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. charge — in control
  12. firm — steady
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. charge — electricity
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mug — a face
  19. charge — a price
  20. mug — a cup
  21. kick — in football
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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