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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. game — wild animals
  7. field — a subject
  8. root — of a plant
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. charge — in control
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. field — for sport
  14. game — a match
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mark — a trace
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mark — a grade
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. root — the cause
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. root — of a word
  24. mark — to pay attention

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