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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: last · board · track · arm · charge · pop · rock · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. rock — music
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. track — to keep track
  6. charge — electricity
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. charge — in control
  9. rock — a stone
  10. last — to go on
  11. board — to get on
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. last — final
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mine — for digging
  20. charge — a price
  21. track — a song
  22. last — finally
  23. board — a committee
  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