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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 116 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: face · charge · root · row · coach · wake · scale · track

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. row — a line
  4. face — to confront
  5. charge — electricity
  6. root — of a word
  7. scale — size or range
  8. charge — in control
  9. track — a song
  10. face — to point toward
  11. track — to keep track
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. face — part of the head
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. root — the cause
  17. track — a path
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. scale — in music
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. root — of a plant
  23. charge — a price
  24. row — to paddle

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