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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: can · saw · cap · cue · field · charge · racket · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ground — crushed
  4. field — a subject
  5. cap — a hat
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cue — a hint
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. charge — in control
  11. saw — the tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. cap — of ice
  16. field — farmland
  17. cap — a lid
  18. field — for sport
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cue — for pool
  21. ground — a position
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. charge — a price
  24. can — a tin

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