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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 120 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 · calf · field · foot · charge · content · cabinet · coach

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. content — the amount
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. charge — a price
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. field — farmland
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. field — for sport
  15. content — happy
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. snap — to click
  18. field — a subject
  19. foot — a measure
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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