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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lean — to bend
  4. field — a subject
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. march — the month
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. march — music
  12. field — farmland
  13. charge — a price
  14. field — for sport
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. march — the month
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. snap — to click
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. suit — in cards

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