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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bark · chair · land · ball · charge · track · cell

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. charge — a price
  3. land — a country
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. land — ground
  7. ball — a dance
  8. row — a line
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. charge — in control
  12. cell — in biology
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. track — a song
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. charge — electricity
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bark — to shout
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. track — a path
  23. land — to come down
  24. bark — of a tree

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