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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.

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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: mate · board · leaves · deal · field · kid · charge · drill

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. deal — to handle
  3. kid — to tease
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. charge — in control
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. mate — to breed
  10. drill — a practice
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mate — a partner
  13. field — a subject
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. charge — electricity
  16. drill — the tool
  17. board — a committee
  18. charge — a price
  19. mate — a friend
  20. field — farmland
  21. drill — army training
  22. field — for sport
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. kid — child

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