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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 · cap · track · bear · row · bore · ball · rash

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. charge — in control
  4. track — a song
  5. cap — a hat
  6. track — to keep track
  7. charge — a price
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rash — a series
  15. ball — a great time
  16. row — to paddle
  17. track — a path
  18. cap — of ice
  19. row — a line
  20. bear — the animal
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cap — a lid

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