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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
468
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: track · mine · roll · jam · charge · snap · safe · club

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. snap — to click
  3. roll — a cake
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. club — for dancing
  6. charge — in control
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. track — a path
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mine — for digging
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. charge — electricity
  16. club — a group
  17. track — to keep track
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. charge — a price
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. track — a song
  22. roll — a list
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. club — for golf

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