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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: can · fork · net · charge · wake · kid · object · file

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wake — a trail
  4. net — after costs
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. file — a tool
  7. object — to protest
  8. fork — in a road
  9. kid — child
  10. net — for catching
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. kid — to tease
  17. charge — electricity
  18. can — to be able to
  19. object — an aim
  20. can — a tin
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. can — a tin
  23. file — a document
  24. object — a thing

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