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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 120 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: wind · track · rock · row · coach · calf · charge · capital

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. wind — moving air
  5. track — to keep track
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. charge — in control
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. track — a path
  10. charge — a price
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. capital — a city
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. capital — money
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. row — to paddle
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. track — a song
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rock — to move gently

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