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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: spell · prune · charge · band · track · root · clip · pass

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. root — the cause
  3. band — a ring
  4. clip — to cut
  5. root — of a plant
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. charge — a price
  8. clip — a video
  9. prune — to trim
  10. track — a path
  11. spell — a short time
  12. charge — in control
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. root — of a word
  17. band — a music group
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. prune — to trim
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pass — a permit
  22. clip — for paper
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — letters

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