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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: track · suit · arm · charge · ground · season · face · fork

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. face — part of the head
  4. suit — in cards
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. track — to keep track
  8. face — to point toward
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. suit — to fit
  11. ground — a position
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. suit — clothes
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. charge — a price
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. face — to confront
  22. fork — in a road
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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