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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: net · field · nail · charge · perch · mine · ground · root

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. net — in sport
  3. root — of a plant
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. root — the cause
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. net — for catching
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. net — after costs
  10. mine — for digging
  11. perch — the fish
  12. ground — a position
  13. field — farmland
  14. ground — the earth
  15. charge — a price
  16. ground — crushed
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. field — a subject
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. root — of a word
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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