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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.

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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: track · tube · charge · club · field · chip · suit · tear

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. suit — to fit
  3. tube — the underground
  4. club — for golf
  5. tear — from crying
  6. field — a subject
  7. track — a path
  8. tear — from crying
  9. chip — to eat
  10. tear — to rip
  11. track — to keep track
  12. chip — for betting
  13. club — a group
  14. suit — in cards
  15. charge — a price
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. field — farmland
  18. charge — in control
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. tube — a container
  21. club — for dancing
  22. suit — clothes
  23. track — a song
  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