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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: file · club · rule · racket · scale · wake · charge · fork

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. file — a tool
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. charge — a price
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. club — for golf
  7. fork — in a road
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wake — a trail
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. file — a document
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. scale — in music
  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