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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: charge · bat · field · chip · perch · track · pound · leaves

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. track — a path
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. charge — a price
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chip — to eat
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. charge — in control
  13. field — a subject
  14. track — a song
  15. perch — the fish
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. field — for sport
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bat — the animal
  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