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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. field — a subject
  3. charge — in control
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. suit — in cards
  8. can — to be able to
  9. field — for sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. file — a document
  13. suit — clothes
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. file — a tool
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. file — a line of people
  20. can — a tin
  21. suit — to fit
  22. field — farmland
  23. mine — for digging
  24. charge — electricity

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