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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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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. charge — in control
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pass — a permit
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. object — to protest
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. object — an aim
  9. charge — a price
  10. field — farmland
  11. pop — to visit
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fork — in a road
  14. hand — help
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pop — soda
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. charge — electricity
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. field — a subject
  22. pop — music
  23. object — a thing
  24. pass — to succeed

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