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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: coach · bass · club · march · snap · foot · fork · charge

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. march — the month
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. club — for golf
  11. bass — low music
  12. club — for dancing
  13. snap — to click
  14. march — the month
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. club — a group
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. march — music
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. foot — a measure

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