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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. charge — electricity
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. march — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. march — the month
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. field — a subject
  10. charge — a price
  11. pound — a weight
  12. march — the month
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. charge — in control
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — to be able to
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. can — a tin
  24. field — for sport

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