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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: club · charge · bark · squash · spring · racket · field · last

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. spring — the season
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. last — finally
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spring — of water
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. charge — a price
  13. club — for dancing
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. last — to go on
  16. field — for sport
  17. charge — electricity
  18. field — a subject
  19. last — final
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. squash — the sport
  24. field — farmland

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