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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: rest · charge · face · field · squash · pit · rock · net

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rock — music
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. charge — electricity
  7. face — to point toward
  8. net — in sport
  9. pit — in a race
  10. field — a subject
  11. face — to confront
  12. rest — what's left
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rest — what's left
  17. net — for catching
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. pit — a hole
  21. squash — to crush
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rest — a break
  24. net — after costs

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