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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: file · charge · rock · fork · land · ruler · wound · firm

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. rock — a stone
  5. land — ground
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wound — an injury
  8. charge — in control
  9. file — a document
  10. rock — music
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. charge — a price
  15. file — a tool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. firm — a company
  18. land — a country
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. file — a line of people
  24. ruler — a monarch

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