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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. charge — in control
  4. field — for sport
  5. charge — electricity
  6. court — of law
  7. field — farmland
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. court — for sport
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mug — a cup
  15. court — of a king
  16. mug — to rob
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bound — obliged
  22. field — a subject
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mug — a face

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