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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · present · foot · field · mate · swing · content · bulb

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bulb — for light
  3. present — the time now
  4. swing — in golf
  5. foot — a measure
  6. present — a gift
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bulb — for light
  10. content — the amount
  11. mate — to breed
  12. field — farmland
  13. charge — in control
  14. field — for sport
  15. charge — electricity
  16. present — there
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. content — happy
  21. field — a subject
  22. charge — a price
  23. swing — music
  24. content — videos and posts

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