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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · swing · bowl · charge · fall · pit

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fall — the season
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. swing — music
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. swing — to play on
  7. charge — in control
  8. pit — a hole
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fall — to drop
  11. swing — in golf
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. field — farmland
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fall — to drop

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