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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: charge · root · track · club · stock · last · kick · pit

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. kick — in football
  4. charge — in control
  5. club — for golf
  6. stock — shares
  7. last — to go on
  8. pit — in a race
  9. last — finally
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pit — a hole
  12. club — a group
  13. stock — goods
  14. track — a song
  15. last — final
  16. root — of a word
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. charge — electricity
  19. root — the cause
  20. track — a path
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. club — for dancing
  23. charge — a price
  24. root — 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