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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 120 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 · foot · rock · coach · cap · track · hide · squash

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. cap — of ice
  6. track — a path
  7. rock — a stone
  8. charge — a price
  9. track — a song
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. charge — electricity
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cap — a hat
  15. squash — to crush
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. foot — a measure
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rock — music
  21. charge — in control
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. track — to keep track

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