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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: fork · charge · arm · row · drill · track · ruler · coach

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. drill — a practice
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. row — a line
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. row — to paddle
  13. charge — in control
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. drill — the tool
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. charge — a price
  18. drill — army training
  19. fork — in a road
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. track — a song
  24. ruler — for measuring

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