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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: cell · patient · trunk · field · game · bay · ground · charge

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. ground — the earth
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. field — farmland
  7. ground — a position
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. field — a subject
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. field — for sport
  15. charge — a price
  16. game — a match
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ground — crushed
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — in a prison

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