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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.

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: track · spell · roll · nail · root · charge · date · bore

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. roll — a cake
  3. root — the cause
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bore — to tire
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. spell — magic
  12. track — to keep track
  13. date — the fruit
  14. root — of a plant
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. charge — a price
  17. root — of a word
  18. spell — a short time
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bore — to drill
  21. roll — a list
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. charge — in control
  24. spell — letters

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