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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 120 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: spring · key · track · mine · leaves · charge · bear · club

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. club — for golf
  6. track — to keep track
  7. spring — the season
  8. key — for a lock
  9. track — a song
  10. key — in music
  11. club — a group
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. key — the most important part
  14. club — for dancing
  15. charge — in control
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. track — a path
  18. spring — of water
  19. bear — the animal
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. spring — a coil
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. leaves — to go away

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