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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. charge — in control
  3. clip — a video
  4. field — a subject
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mark — a grade
  12. chip — to eat
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. can — a tin
  15. clip — to cut
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. field — for sport
  18. chip — for betting
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mark — a trace
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. charge — a price
  23. can — a tin
  24. branch — a division

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