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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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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 · file · bear · bound · track · bat · net · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. net — after costs
  3. charge — in control
  4. bear — the animal
  5. file — a document
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. net — for catching
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bat — the animal
  18. file — a tool
  19. net — in sport
  20. charge — a price
  21. track — a path
  22. bound — certain
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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