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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 · bark · mate · foot · deal · season · rock · track

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mate — to breed
  4. deal — to handle
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mate — a partner
  10. charge — in control
  11. season — of the year
  12. mate — a friend
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. charge — a price
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. season — in sport
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. foot — a measure
  24. track — a song

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