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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. band — a music group
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. pass — a permit
  8. track — a song
  9. charge — in control
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. spring — a coil
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. band — a ring
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. track — a path
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. charge — electricity
  18. ruler — for measuring

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