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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. ball — a dance
  3. object — a thing
  4. field — for sport
  5. object — to protest
  6. deal — to handle
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. field — farmland
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. mug — to rob
  12. field — a subject
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — a face
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. charge — in control
  18. craft — boats
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ball — a great time
  21. charge — a price
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. object — an aim
  24. craft — a skill

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