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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: band · fork · foot · mouse · wound · object · cue · charge

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. charge — electricity
  3. object — to protest
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. object — a thing
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. object — an aim
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. wound — an injury
  17. band — a ring
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. band — a music group
  22. foot — a measure
  23. cue — a signal
  24. fork — to eat with

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