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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: charge · pitch · track · file · land · can · field · trunk

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. track — a path
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. can — a tin
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. charge — a price
  8. can — to be able to
  9. track — to keep track
  10. charge — electricity
  11. field — farmland
  12. land — to come down
  13. charge — in control
  14. field — a subject
  15. file — a document
  16. field — for sport
  17. track — a song
  18. file — a line of people
  19. land — a country
  20. land — ground
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitch — completely

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