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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 116 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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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: kick · mark · deal · bat · wind · march · charge · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. charge — in control
  5. march — the month
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. charge — a price
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mark — a trace
  13. kick — in football
  14. wind — moving air
  15. track — a song
  16. bat — the animal
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. charge — electricity
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mark — to pay attention

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