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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
468
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: scale · field · fan · safe · chair · charge · mug · rest

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. field — for sport
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mug — a cup
  8. scale — in music
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mug — a face
  14. charge — in control
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. charge — a price
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mug — to rob
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. scale — size or range

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