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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.

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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
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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: land · root · content · charge · plane · field · bank · squash

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. content — the amount
  5. squash — the sport
  6. charge — a price
  7. bank — for money
  8. field — for sport
  9. root — of a plant
  10. content — happy
  11. land — a country
  12. bank — for money
  13. root — the cause
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. land — ground
  16. squash — to crush
  17. root — of a word
  18. charge — in control
  19. land — to come down
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bank — of a river
  23. charge — electricity
  24. plane — a tool

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