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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. charge — a price
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fine — all right
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mark — a trace
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. field — for sport
  10. pound — a weight
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fine — high quality
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mark — a grade
  17. capital — money
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. capital — a city
  20. charge — in control
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pound — for dogs

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