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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.

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: wake · fork · rush · racket · spring · mate · charge · club

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wake — a trail
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. spring — a coil
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. spring — of water
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. charge — in control
  18. mate — a partner
  19. charge — a price
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rush — hurry
  22. spring — the season
  23. mate — to breed
  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