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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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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: rock · rest · saw · field · charge · deal · bay · cap

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. field — a subject
  3. rest — what's left
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rest — what's left
  8. charge — electricity
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cap — a hat
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. charge — a price
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rock — music
  19. rest — a break
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rock — a stone

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