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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. charge — in control
  4. fork — in a road
  5. field — for sport
  6. fine — high quality
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. charge — electricity
  10. field — farmland
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. band — a ring
  14. charge — a price
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fine — all right
  17. band — a music group
  18. fine — a penalty

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