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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 · arm · charge · clip · pit · rest · fine · leaves

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. charge — electricity
  3. fine — high quality
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. charge — in control
  6. clip — to cut
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. track — a path
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. charge — a price
  13. rest — what's left
  14. clip — a video
  15. track — to keep track
  16. clip — for paper
  17. pit — in a race
  18. track — a song
  19. fine — all right
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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