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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 120 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: drill · field · mark · charge · squash · cabinet · mate · object

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. drill — a practice
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. field — farmland
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mate — a partner
  8. charge — in control
  9. object — a thing
  10. drill — army training
  11. charge — electricity
  12. squash — to crush
  13. field — a subject
  14. drill — the tool
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. object — to protest
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mate — a friend
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. charge — a price
  23. field — for sport
  24. object — an aim

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