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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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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 · bat · field · row · can · ruler · season · bank

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. field — for sport
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bank — for money
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. field — farmland
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. row — to paddle
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. charge — in control
  12. row — a line
  13. bat — the animal
  14. can — a tin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bank — for money
  17. charge — a price
  18. bank — of a river
  19. field — a subject
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. can — to be able to
  23. season — of the year
  24. can — a tin

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