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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. craft — boats
  3. charge — a price
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. charge — electricity
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. field — farmland
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a ring
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pitch — completely
  22. craft — a skill
  23. band — a music group
  24. fine — high quality

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