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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: charge · game · branch · pitch · chest · track · key · wake

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. game — a match
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. track — a song
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. key — the most important part
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wake — a trail
  9. charge — in control
  10. key — for a lock
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. branch — a division
  17. chest — a box
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. track — to keep track
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. key — in music
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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