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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: pit · wave · last · wound · mark · track · charge · toast

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. track — a path
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mark — a trace
  5. charge — in control
  6. last — finally
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. last — final
  10. wound — an injury
  11. last — to go on
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pit — a hole
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. mark — a grade
  16. toast — bread
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wound — an injury
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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