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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: drill · pass · ground · charge · arm · file · fork · suit

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. suit — clothes
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. drill — army training
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ground — crushed
  10. file — a tool
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pass — a permit
  14. file — a line of people
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ground — a position
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. file — a document
  21. suit — to fit
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. fork — in a road

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