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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. charge — in control
  4. can — a tin
  5. mine — for digging
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mug — a cup
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. mug — a face
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. mug — to rob
  13. charge — a price
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. field — for sport
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pass — a permit
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. drill — the tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pass — to spend time

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