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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: mark · track · spring · clip · charge · date · jam · ball

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. clip — a video
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. clip — for paper
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. charge — in control
  7. track — to keep track
  8. charge — electricity
  9. spring — of water
  10. track — a song
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mark — a grade
  16. charge — a price
  17. spring — the season
  18. track — a path
  19. mark — a trace
  20. ball — a great time
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. clip — to cut
  23. date — the fruit
  24. ball — a dance

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