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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · track · mark · wound · pitcher · drill · staff · charge

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mark — a trace
  5. track — a song
  6. firm — decided
  7. wound — an injury
  8. firm — a company
  9. charge — electricity
  10. staff — a stick
  11. charge — in control
  12. track — to keep track
  13. charge — a price
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. firm — steady
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. staff — employees
  20. track — a path
  21. drill — army training
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. staff — employees

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