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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: ball · pit · track · bound · charge · last · safe · jam

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. last — to go on
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. track — a path
  5. charge — in control
  6. last — final
  7. track — a song
  8. charge — a price
  9. bound — obliged
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bound — tied together
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bound — certain
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. track — to keep track
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. last — finally
  21. pit — in a race
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. charge — electricity

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