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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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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. charge — electricity
  5. key — in music
  6. track — a song
  7. charge — a price
  8. branch — a division
  9. key — the most important part
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. chip — to eat
  18. charge — in control
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bat — the animal
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. track — a path
  24. key — for a lock

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