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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: kick · swing · pitcher · field · spell · charge · cue · race

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. field — for sport
  3. spell — magic
  4. field — farmland
  5. race — a contest
  6. swing — to play on
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. kick — in football
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. swing — music
  16. field — a subject
  17. charge — a price
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cue — a hint
  21. race — humankind
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. charge — electricity
  24. race — the arms race

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