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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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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: snap · field · fork · pop · cell · stand · mouse · charge

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. charge — in control
  4. snap — to click
  5. charge — electricity
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. field — for sport
  11. pop — music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cell — in biology
  15. field — farmland
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. charge — a price
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. field — a subject

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