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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: saw · roll · charge · lash · foot · field · scale · row

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. field — for sport
  3. foot — a measure
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a list
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. charge — a price
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. scale — in music
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. field — farmland
  16. charge — electricity
  17. row — to paddle
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. roll — a cake
  21. field — a subject
  22. scale — size or range
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. row — a line

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