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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. ground — the earth
  4. can — to be able to
  5. field — for sport
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. ground — a position
  11. suit — in cards
  12. can — a tin
  13. ground — crushed
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. charge — electricity
  17. field — a subject
  18. cap — a hat
  19. charge — in control
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. field — farmland
  22. can — a tin
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wave — of the sea

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