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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: fall · branch · field · charge · track · mouse · rash · safe

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rash — a series
  4. track — a path
  5. field — farmland
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. charge — electricity
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fall — the season
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. track — a song
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. field — for sport
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rash — hasty
  20. branch — a division
  21. field — a subject
  22. charge — in control
  23. track — to keep track
  24. charge — a price

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