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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 · track · ruler · file · snap · last · net · mark

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. last — to go on
  4. charge — a price
  5. snap — to click
  6. mark — a trace
  7. charge — electricity
  8. track — a path
  9. file — a tool
  10. last — finally
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. net — for catching
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. net — in sport
  16. last — final
  17. file — a document
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. charge — in control
  22. file — a line of people
  23. net — after costs
  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