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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. field — a subject
  4. charge — electricity
  5. band — a ring
  6. field — farmland
  7. present — there
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. charge — a price
  10. root — of a word
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. present — the time now
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. present — a gift
  15. root — of a plant
  16. net — for catching
  17. band — a music group
  18. field — for sport
  19. rush — hurry
  20. net — after costs
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. root — the cause
  23. charge — in control
  24. net — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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