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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. charge — in control
  4. field — farmland
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rest — what's left
  12. charge — electricity
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bound — certain
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. nail — on a finger

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