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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: mine · tube · charge · track · nail · mug · wake · band

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mug — a face
  3. charge — a price
  4. track — to keep track
  5. tube — a container
  6. track — a song
  7. band — a music group
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. charge — in control
  12. wake — a trail
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. track — a path
  16. mine — for digging
  17. band — a ring
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. mug — to rob
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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