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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: field · pass · mug · hand · can · mark · wake · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. field — for sport
  3. can — to be able to
  4. field — farmland
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mark — a trace
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. charge — in control
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. hand — help
  15. mug — a face
  16. can — a tin
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mug — to rob
  19. can — a tin
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. field — a subject
  22. hand — in cards
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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