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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
468
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 · scale · bay · rush · straw · snap · net · charge

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. charge — electricity
  3. net — after costs
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. charge — a price
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. charge — in control
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. snap — to click
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. net — for catching
  21. field — for sport
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. net — in sport

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