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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: craft · charge · bark · track · season · row · rest · coach

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. craft — boats
  3. season — in sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. charge — in control
  7. row — to paddle
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. season — of the year
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bark — to shout
  14. charge — a price
  15. track — a path
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. row — a line
  22. charge — electricity
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. season — to add flavour

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