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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 120 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: charge · field · mate · wake · squash · bark · firm · bay

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. firm — steady
  3. field — for sport
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mate — a friend
  6. charge — in control
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. charge — electricity
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. firm — a company
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. charge — a price
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — to shout
  22. field — a subject
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. firm — decided

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