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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: season · object · charge · band · present · mark · track · file

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. band — a ring
  3. object — a thing
  4. present — the time now
  5. mark — a trace
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. charge — in control
  9. mark — a grade
  10. track — a song
  11. band — a music group
  12. charge — electricity
  13. present — a gift
  14. file — a tool
  15. charge — a price
  16. file — a line of people
  17. season — in sport
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. present — there
  20. object — to protest
  21. file — a document
  22. object — an aim
  23. season — of the year
  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