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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.

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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: last · charge · rock · field · straw · pass · racket · ruler

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. charge — electricity
  3. field — a subject
  4. rock — music
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pass — a permit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. last — to go on
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. last — final
  12. field — farmland
  13. last — finally
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rock — a stone
  16. charge — in control
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. field — for sport
  22. charge — a price
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. racket — for tennis

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