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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 · key · leaves · chest · safe · sharp · field · season

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. charge — a price
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. key — for a lock
  5. field — for sport
  6. key — the most important part
  7. season — of the year
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. field — farmland
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. key — in music
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. season — in sport
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. chest — a box
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. field — a subject
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. leaves — lets stay

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