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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: mug · mouse · stand · charge · field · fan · degree · face

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. degree — temperature
  7. field — for sport
  8. degree — from a university
  9. mug — a face
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. degree — an amount
  12. charge — electricity
  13. field — a subject
  14. face — to point toward
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. face — to confront
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. charge — in control
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. charge — a price
  24. field — farmland

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