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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: tube · rash · kick · spell · track · field · patient · charge

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. charge — a price
  3. field — farmland
  4. charge — in control
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. spell — letters
  9. track — to keep track
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. tube — a container
  12. field — a subject
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rash — a series
  15. spell — magic
  16. kick — in football
  17. charge — electricity
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. spell — a short time
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. field — for sport
  24. tube — the underground

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