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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. field — for sport
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. season — of the year
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. root — the cause
  15. fine — high quality
  16. root — of a word
  17. charge — in control
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fine — all right
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. charge — a price

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