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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.

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: pound · mouse · calf · charge · drill · date · band · field

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. field — for sport
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. charge — a price
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. field — farmland
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. drill — army training
  14. pound — a weight
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. charge — in control
  18. drill — the tool
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. field — a subject
  24. mouse — the animal

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