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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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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: pit · wave · content · stick · bank · charge · field · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. charge — electricity
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bulb — for light
  8. charge — a price
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. content — the amount
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. field — for sport
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bulb — for light
  21. content — happy
  22. charge — in control
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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