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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.

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
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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: lean · pit · fan · perch · field · charge · bass · rest

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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. field — a subject
  4. rest — a break
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rest — what's left
  14. charge — electricity
  15. field — farmland
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. charge — in control
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lean — thin
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. perch — the fish

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