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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: clip · track · mark · charge · rock · firm · wound · degree

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mark — a trace
  3. charge — a price
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wound — an injury
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. track — a path
  12. degree — temperature
  13. firm — steady
  14. wound — an injury
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. charge — in control
  18. rock — music
  19. degree — an amount
  20. track — a song
  21. firm — a company
  22. track — to keep track
  23. degree — from a university
  24. firm — decided

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