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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: field · wake · leaves · kid · pitch · charge · lie · bass

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. kid — child
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wake — a trail
  10. charge — in control
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bass — low music
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. field — for sport
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. field — farmland
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. lie — to recline

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