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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 · rule · track · field · mark · stem · pitch · saw

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mark — a grade
  3. charge — a price
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. charge — electricity
  8. field — farmland
  9. saw — the tool
  10. charge — in control
  11. field — for sport
  12. mark — a trace
  13. track — a song
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. track — a path
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rule — government
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rule — a law
  20. field — a subject
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stem — of a plant

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