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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · track · spring · arm · cabinet · rock · fork · board

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rock — music
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spring — of water
  5. charge — electricity
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. charge — a price
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. board — a committee
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rock — a stone
  13. spring — a coil
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. track — a path
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. track — a song
  19. charge — in control
  20. fork — in a road
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. board — to get on
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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