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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: arm · kick · fine · charge · bay · field · degree · band

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. charge — in control
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. field — farmland
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — an amount
  12. band — a music group
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. band — a ring
  17. degree — from a university
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. charge — a price
  24. kick — in football

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