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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: cap · track · arm · saw · staff · rule · charge · field

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. track — a song
  3. charge — electricity
  4. field — a subject
  5. charge — a price
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cap — of ice
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. charge — in control
  10. rule — government
  11. track — to keep track
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cap — a hat
  15. field — for sport
  16. rule — a law
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. staff — employees
  21. field — farmland
  22. cap — a lid
  23. staff — employees
  24. track — a path

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