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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: content · cue · track · spell · stand · mine · charge · present

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. content — the amount
  3. present — a gift
  4. spell — magic
  5. content — happy
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cue — a signal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. track — a path
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. present — the time now
  17. track — a song
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cue — for pool
  20. spell — letters
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. cue — a hint
  23. present — there
  24. track — to keep track

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