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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. field — for sport
  3. pound — a weight
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. field — a subject
  9. charge — electricity
  10. season — of the year
  11. field — farmland
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rest — a break
  14. fine — high quality
  15. charge — a price
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fine — all right
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. season — in sport
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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