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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 · track · mark · cap · rock · face · saw · deal

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. track — to keep track
  9. face — to point toward
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mark — a trace
  12. face — to confront
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. rock — music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rock — a stone
  18. track — a path
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. face — part of the head
  21. track — a song
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cap — of ice
  24. deal — a big deal

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