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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. foot — a measure
  3. charge — in control
  4. squash — the sport
  5. field — for sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. field — a subject
  8. spell — magic
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. field — farmland
  13. scale — in music
  14. squash — to crush
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. scale — size or range
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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