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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.

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: charge · deal · track · cap · mouse · chair · hand · clip

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. clip — for paper
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. hand — in cards
  5. charge — a price
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. track — a song
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cap — of ice
  12. track — a path
  13. clip — to cut
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. charge — in control
  17. hand — help
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cap — a lid
  20. clip — a video
  21. cap — a hat
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chair — a leader

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