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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · track · march · pass · tube · saw · trunk · season

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. charge — a price
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. march — the month
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. march — the month
  12. saw — the tool
  13. track — a path
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. track — a song
  16. season — in sport
  17. track — to keep track
  18. tube — a container
  19. season — of the year
  20. tube — the underground
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pass — a permit
  23. charge — in control
  24. march — music

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