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

Word bank: track · foot · roll · charge · snap · branch

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. roll — a cake
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. track — to keep track
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. charge — a price
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. snap — to click
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. track — a path
  15. roll — a list
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. branch — a division
  18. foot — a measure

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