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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · fork · row · land · charge · track · rock · kid

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — a line
  3. track — to keep track
  4. kid — child
  5. charge — in control
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rock — a stone
  9. row — to paddle
  10. charge — electricity
  11. land — ground
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. land — a country
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rock — music
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. charge — a price
  20. land — to come down
  21. kid — to tease
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fork — a garden 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