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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: charge · fall · track · bay · lean · bass · chip · fork

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. fall — the season
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fork — in a road
  5. lean — thin
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fall — to drop
  9. charge — a price
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bass — low music
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bass — the fish
  16. track — a song
  17. lean — to bend
  18. charge — in control
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. charge — electricity

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