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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: bank · track · toast · arm · spell · saw · court · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. spell — a short time
  3. toast — bread
  4. track — a song
  5. bank — for money
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spell — magic
  8. court — of a king
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. track — to keep track
  11. court — of law
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. court — for sport
  14. bank — of a river
  15. spell — letters
  16. track — a path
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — the tool
  21. charge — in control
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. arm — part of the body
  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