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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pass · ball · tear · cap · field · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. tear — from crying
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. charge — a price
  8. cap — a lid
  9. field — farmland
  10. ball — a dance
  11. field — for sport
  12. tear — to rip
  13. field — a subject
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cap — a hat
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cap — of ice
  18. ball — a great 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