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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: row · bowl · saw · coach · face · foot · charge · track

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. charge — electricity
  4. track — a song
  5. foot — a measure
  6. row — a line
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. track — a path
  11. saw — the tool
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. face — to point toward
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. charge — in control
  17. track — to keep track
  18. row — to paddle
  19. face — part of the head
  20. charge — a price
  21. face — to confront
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. foot — the bottom

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