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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: club · spring · date · band · charge · rule · track · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. band — a music group
  4. spring — of water
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rule — a law
  10. club — for golf
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pop — music
  14. club — a group
  15. pop — to visit
  16. charge — a price
  17. spring — the season
  18. rule — government
  19. date — the fruit
  20. track — a path
  21. charge — electricity
  22. spring — a coil
  23. charge — in control
  24. band — a ring

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