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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 · bear · stand · mate · wave · content · field · racket

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. content — happy
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. field — farmland
  13. charge — a price
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — the amount
  16. charge — in control
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. field — for sport
  19. charge — electricity
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. field — a subject
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bear — the animal

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