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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: charge · cell · fine · staff · ground · track · mark · roll

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. track — a song
  3. ground — a position
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. cell — in biology
  7. staff — employees
  8. roll — a list
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cell — a phone
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. charge — a price
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fine — high quality
  20. staff — employees
  21. mark — a trace
  22. staff — a stick
  23. fine — all right
  24. ground — crushed

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