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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: charge · staff · field · season · fine · lie · jam · pound

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fine — high quality
  8. charge — in control
  9. season — in sport
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pound — a weight
  13. season — of the year
  14. field — a subject
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. fine — all right
  21. staff — employees
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. staff — employees

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