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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bark — to shout
  3. fork — in a road
  4. charge — electricity
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. court — of a king
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. charge — a price
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. track — a path
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. track — to keep track
  16. court — of law
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. court — for sport
  20. charge — in control
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. date — the fruit

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