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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. last — final
  5. bound — certain
  6. season — in sport
  7. field — for sport
  8. last — finally
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bound — obliged
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. last — to go on
  15. field — a subject
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. foot — a measure
  20. charge — a price
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. field — farmland
  24. pass — a permit

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