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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: face · jam · charge · last · field · rock · toast · kid

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. field — for sport
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. last — finally
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. charge — a price
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. kid — to tease
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rock — a stone
  16. kid — child
  17. rock — music
  18. face — part of the head
  19. last — final
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. last — to go on
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. toast — bread

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