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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
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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: toast · bay · field · press · wax · mark · court · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. field — a subject
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. press — newspapers
  10. toast — bread
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wax — to grow
  13. field — for sport
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — of law
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. press — to push
  19. field — farmland
  20. press — a publisher
  21. court — for sport
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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