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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 · bowl · coach · rash · pass · branch · wake · charge

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pass — a permit
  6. charge — in control
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rash — a series
  18. charge — a price
  19. branch — a division
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. charge — electricity
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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