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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 · date · charge · bass · band · toast · bark · fork

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bass — low music
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. band — a music group
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. toast — bread
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. charge — in control
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. date — the fruit
  17. fork — in a road
  18. band — a ring
  19. bass — the fish
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. charge — a price
  24. coach — a trainer

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