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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: mouse · file · bore · ground · fork · charge · key · rush

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. key — the most important part
  8. file — a document
  9. ground — crushed
  10. charge — electricity
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. charge — in control
  16. ground — a position
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. charge — a price
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bore — to drill
  24. file — a tool

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