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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: track · land · charge · mark · rest · sharp · prune · foot

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rest — what's left
  4. track — a song
  5. prune — to trim
  6. land — to come down
  7. rest — a break
  8. track — a path
  9. mark — a grade
  10. foot — a measure
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rest — what's left
  13. charge — a price
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. charge — in control
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. land — a country
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. track — to keep track
  22. land — ground
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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