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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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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. content — the amount
  3. drill — the tool
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rule — a law
  7. field — for sport
  8. rule — government
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. content — happy
  11. drill — army training
  12. field — farmland
  13. foot — a measure
  14. object — an aim
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. charge — a price
  17. pit — a hole
  18. object — a thing
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. drill — a practice
  21. object — to protest
  22. charge — in control
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. pit — in a race

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