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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: mate · bowl · field · row · court · charge · foot · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. field — farmland
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. foot — a measure
  6. field — a subject
  7. charge — in control
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. row — a line
  11. court — for sport
  12. row — to paddle
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. field — for sport
  19. mate — a friend
  20. hand — help
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bowl — to roll

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