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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 · roll · track · bank · field · pass · rule · squash

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. track — a song
  3. field — a subject
  4. charge — electricity
  5. field — for sport
  6. bank — of a river
  7. charge — in control
  8. field — farmland
  9. rule — a law
  10. roll — a cake
  11. charge — a price
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. squash — to crush
  16. roll — a list
  17. bank — for money
  18. pass — a permit
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bank — for money
  24. roll — on a roll

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