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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.

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: land · mouse · foot · sharp · field · season · ball · charge

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. land — ground
  3. ball — a dance
  4. field — a subject
  5. season — of the year
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. charge — a price
  8. land — to come down
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. land — a country
  12. season — in sport
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. charge — in control
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. charge — electricity
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. field — farmland
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. foot — a measure
  24. field — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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