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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: mouse · board · march · charge · cap · track · pop · pitch

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. march — music
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. charge — in control
  9. pitch — completely
  10. track — a path
  11. board — a committee
  12. pop — music
  13. charge — a price
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. march — the month
  16. cap — a hat
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. march — the month
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pop — to visit
  21. track — a song
  22. cap — a lid
  23. board — to get on
  24. pop — soda

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