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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 116 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: mate · track · bank · charge · clip · pit · ball · dip

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bank — for money
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. charge — a price
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. track — to keep track
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bank — for money
  13. track — a song
  14. mate — to breed
  15. clip — a video
  16. ball — a great time
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pit — in a race
  20. charge — in control
  21. dip — to sink
  22. charge — electricity
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mate — a friend

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