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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 120 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: charge · drill · file · bowl · bass · chip · suit · fork

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. file — a tool
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. drill — army training
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. file — a document
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. chip — to eat
  14. charge — in control
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fork — in a road
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. chip — for betting
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bass — the fish
  22. charge — a price
  23. suit — clothes
  24. file — a line of people

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