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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.

Make a worksheet

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: field · cap · charge · present · kick · fine · march · bulb

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cap — of ice
  4. field — a subject
  5. charge — a price
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. present — a gift
  8. field — farmland
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bulb — for light
  11. march — music
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cap — a lid
  15. march — the month
  16. fine — high quality
  17. march — the month
  18. present — the time now
  19. charge — in control
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. present — there
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fine — all right

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