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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 · bound · drill · spell · tear · fork · toast · track

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. charge — in control
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bound — obliged
  7. charge — a price
  8. track — a song
  9. spell — magic
  10. bound — tied together
  11. spell — letters
  12. bound — certain
  13. drill — army training
  14. track — a path
  15. drill — the tool
  16. track — to keep track
  17. tear — to rip
  18. charge — electricity
  19. spell — a short time
  20. toast — bread
  21. drill — a practice
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. tear — from crying

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