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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: bore · net · fork · bass · coach · charge · swing · lie

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. charge — in control
  3. swing — to play on
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. swing — in golf
  6. charge — a price
  7. lie — to recline
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. swing — music
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. net — for catching
  12. bass — the fish
  13. net — in sport
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. net — after costs
  17. bass — low music
  18. bore — to drill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bore — to tire

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