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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: fine · track · last · charge · kid · mug · spell · cap

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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 — to keep track
  2. kid — child
  3. spell — a short time
  4. last — finally
  5. fine — high quality
  6. last — final
  7. mug — a face
  8. cap — a hat
  9. spell — magic
  10. mug — a cup
  11. kid — to tease
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. charge — in control
  14. cap — a lid
  15. track — a path
  16. last — to go on
  17. mug — to rob
  18. spell — letters
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. fine — all right
  21. track — a song
  22. cap — of ice
  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