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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: staff · track · mine · game · charge · bank · cap · saw

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. staff — employees
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. game — a match
  6. cap — a hat
  7. game — wild animals
  8. saw — the tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bank — for money
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. charge — a price
  16. track — a song
  17. charge — in control
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. cap — of ice
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bank — for money
  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