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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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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: mouse · fork · racket · bay · tube · kid · charge · face

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. charge — electricity
  3. kid — to tease
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. tube — a container
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. charge — a price
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. charge — in control
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. face — to point toward

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