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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: charge · band · track · land · bulb · jam · mate · row

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. band — a music group
  3. mate — to breed
  4. charge — a price
  5. band — a ring
  6. land — ground
  7. track — a path
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. land — to come down
  10. charge — in control
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. charge — electricity
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bulb — for light
  15. track — a song
  16. row — to paddle
  17. land — a country
  18. bulb — for light
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. row — a line
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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