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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.

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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. face — to point toward
  3. charge — a price
  4. field — a subject
  5. swing — to play on
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bear — the animal
  8. charge — in control
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mug — a face
  14. field — farmland
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. swing — music
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mug — to rob
  19. face — to confront
  20. rock — a stone
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bear — the animal
  23. charge — electricity
  24. face — part of the head

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