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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: pass · jam · foot · wind · present · chest · field · charge

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. charge — in control
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. present — there
  8. chest — of your body
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. field — farmland
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chest — a box
  14. field — for sport
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. charge — electricity
  17. field — a subject
  18. present — the time now
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. present — a gift
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. chest — of your body
  23. charge — a price
  24. wind — moving air

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