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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: pitcher · last · pound · charge · stick · rule · field · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. field — farmland
  5. last — final
  6. field — for sport
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. charge — in control
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. last — to go on
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. field — a subject
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. last — finally
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. charge — a price
  23. rule — a law
  24. bank — for money

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