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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: tube · track · fork · perch · charge · bass · tear · arm

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. tube — a container
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. track — a song
  7. tube — the underground
  8. track — a path
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. tear — from crying
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. charge — in control
  19. tear — from crying
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. tear — to rip

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