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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: object · tear · field · saw · safe · deal · charge · net

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. charge — in control
  3. deal — to handle
  4. tear — from crying
  5. charge — a price
  6. net — after costs
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. field — farmland
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — a thing
  12. tear — to rip
  13. field — for sport
  14. object — to protest
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. tear — from crying
  19. net — in sport
  20. object — an aim
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. net — for catching
  24. charge — electricity

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