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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: field · sharp · pitch · kid · pit · lean · wax · charge

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lean — to bend
  3. charge — a price
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. kid — to tease
  13. charge — electricity
  14. sharp — clever
  15. charge — in control
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. lean — thin
  24. kid — child

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