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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
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: toast · tube · field · pass · bat · swing · nail · charge

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pass — a permit
  8. field — farmland
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. toast — bread
  12. charge — in control
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. charge — a price
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. field — for sport
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. charge — electricity
  24. field — a subject

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