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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: bark · row · charge · can · date · branch · fork · coach

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. date — the fruit
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. row — a line
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. can — a tin
  24. bark — to shout

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